Becoming Mr Right
by JustSunny
Summary: Ana thought she had found her Mr. Right in college but it all ended in hurt and betrayal. Even years later she is not able to trust men, so she decides to go back and get closure from the man who broke her heart. Will Christian give her the closure she needs to move on or can he prove that even Mr. Right sometimes needs a second chance... AU/OOC
1. Chapter 1

**Hi Ladies, I'm back :-) I know it's been a really long time, but I kind of had a hard time getting back into writing and then decided to wait until I had a story complete before I would post it. Well, that didn't work because I started about ten stories and haven't finished a single one as of now. So, I have decided to start posting this story. I have some more chapters ready and aim for weekly updates. Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: All characters from FSOG belong to E. L. James**

**New York June 2015**

"Bye Ana, have a great weekend." My assistant says as I'm about to leave my office.

"Thanks, you too, Paige."

"I wish, my boyfriend is out of town and all my girl friends already have plans, so now it's just me, Netflix and a huge pizza I'm going to regret eating the moment the first pimples show up on my face." Paige sighs.

"Oh wow, that sounds... tragic. How about this, I have planned a morning at an amazing day spa tomorrow morning, followed by brunch with some of my girls, some shopping, afterwards we want to cook dinner together and then go clubbing, you could join us." I offer, and she frowns.

"I don't know... I don't want to intrude."

"You didn't I offered... come on, we have known each other for five years now and never really had time to hang out since you are always somewhere with your man."

"Hmm... ok, I'm in." She says and I give her the address of the spa and give them a call on the way down to the garage to add Paige to my appointment. In the garage, I look at the new name plate that marks my parking spot. Anastasia Steele, Vice President of Howard, Everton and Steele Marketing.

It still feels unreal that me... little Ana Steele from Montesano Washington has made it to the top of one of New York's most renowned marketing companies. And I haven't just made it to the top, at the age of twenty-five I have become a partner in my company. Of course, I had to poker a bit to get there, but a strategic mention at a Christmas party last year in which I mentioned that I'm thinking about starting my own company, while Mr. Howard and Mr. Everton were within earshot made them bend over backwards to keep me, which resulted in them offering me to become a partner.

Manipulative? Maybe, but I know I'm the best at what I do. Otherwise, I wouldn't be where I am today after just four years with the company. To celebrate my partnership, I have gotten myself what some would call a very expensive toy and that is my black Tesla. I love this car but was always a bit apprehensive to spend that much money on a car but when I became a partner I made two very expensive purchases, one was my car and the other one was a new house for my parents.

Ray and Carla Steele are the best parents any girl could ever ask for. They have always believed in me and even used all of their savings, retirement fund and whatever else they had to pay for my college education at Princeton. So, it just felt right to buy them a nice, waterfront home in Seattle, which at first they insisted was too much, but I could already tell how much they loved it after seeing it once, so I insisted and now they are both so very happy there.

Leaving my work, I drive through Manhattan until I reach the Upper Westside, and The Ansonian, a beautiful historical building that houses my apartment. From the first time I saw this building, I knew that one day, that's where I want to live and finally 10 months ago there was the perfect opening for a three-bedroom apartment. I applied and by some random twist of fate got the apartment. The rent is insane, but I just love my home so much that it is well worth it to me.

Once inside my apartment, I take a Quinoa salad from my favorite deli and a bottle of red wine from the fridge and smile when I see the note from my cleaning lady that she has left me a box of home-made cookies in the living room.

I enjoy a quiet night in and then around 11 pm decide to go to bed. So, I undress take a quick shower and look at myself in the mirror while applying some lotion.

It sometimes still seems unreal to me that this is really my life and that the girl staring back at me from the mirror is me. Truth be told there was a time in my life where I thought I would end up as an old cat lady, living in a shack in the woods somewhere. To say that I was a wallflower would be an understatement.

I was the ugly duckling but I never cared, not until other people started to care or to be more accurate the kids in my high school. They were horrible to me. I got pushed around on a daily and one day some of the bullies even thought it was funny to corner me in the hallway and everyone took turns slapping me and spitting at me until a teacher saw them and shut it down. High school was nothing short of hell for me and the only thought that kept me going was that if I could manage to keep my grades up I would get a scholarship to Harvard.

When that really happened I thought it would be the beginning of a new life. That I could leave all the bullies and everything else behind, be a new person and maybe even find friends. However, I had to learn the hard way that just because High School is over the bullies suddenly turn into nice kids... they just hide it better and make their attacks so much more painful.

I still can't allow myself to even think of what happened to me. The memories are just too painful. What I do remember is the aftermath...

* * *

_**Harvard - Thayer Hall 2008**_

_Running down the hallway I finally reach my room and sink to the floor sobbing uncontrollably... I need to leave, I can't be here anymore... I can't even stay in this room anymore. She will be back soon too, so I grab my phone and call my dad._

_"Annie, what is wrong... why are you crying, pumpkin?" My dad asks me._

_"I... Dad I made a horrible mistake... please I want to come home, I can't stay here... please can I come home?" I sob._

_"Annie, I need you to take a deep breath and tell me what happened."_

_"I... I thought ... they were my friends... but they just... just... please I don't want to say it... I can't stay here dad... please I can't stay here." I cry._

_"Alright... look, I will take the next flight and come to see you until then I need you to sleep and tomorrow we'll talk about what happened. You can't just quit college Ana."_

_"Please... I can't stay here... not even for one more night... everyone saw... I can't." I sob desperate and suddenly there is a knock at the door._

_"Ana, please open the door... please I'm so sorry... I swear I had no idea... please open the door." I hear the voice of the boy I thought was my boyfriend._

_"Go away!" I call out._

_"Annie who is there."_

_"I'm coming home, Daddy... don't come here." I say and hang up. I grab my duffle bag and start to pack everything I can fit in it and in my backpack before I open the door._

_"Ana... wait, what are you doing."_

_"Leaving." I whisper without looking at him._

_"No... come on, I'll deal with it..."_

_"How?! Everyone saw it... even the professors... there is nothing you can do... I... I trusted you... how could you..."_

_"It wasn't my idea... it was supposed to be a joke... but then I told them I'm out..."_

_"A joke? That's not a joke... it's my life... but then again, I guess I was a joke to all of you right... were you bored and I became some sort of sick and twisted challenge for you and your friends?" I ask and all I am greeted with is silence._

_"I take that at as yes. Goodbye."_

_"No wait... it was real, Ana... I didn't know I would fall in love with you."_

_"Really Christian? Go and tell your lies to someone stupid enough to believe them." I murmur and start to walk past him, but he grabs my wrist._

_"No, don't touch me! Don't you ever touch me again!" I yell at him yank my arm free and run out of the dorm._

_When I came home I told my parents everything that happened and my dad insisted on talking to the dean, but even he thought it would be best for me if I left since this wasn't a scandal that would have been easily forgotten. But, he gave me a letter that opened a door for me to study at Princeton, where in my first year I met my best friend Kate who helped me not just overcome my trust issues, but also helped me transform into the confident young woman I am today._

* * *

**_\- Present Time -_**

I smile thinking of Kate. She was my roommate all through college, and we even moved to New York together after we both had managed to find a job here. She works for the New York Times but is on maternity leave now, since she had a beautiful little boy by the name of James just two weeks ago. She fell in love with her husband Carter a year after we've moved to New York and another year later she was married. I'm so happy for her, but it also is a reminder for me that while my career is thriving my love life is a disaster.

I have dated guys who pretended to be super successful and hard-working only to find out they are unemployed and living with their parents, guys who cheated, a serious narcissist and my absolute favorite a guy who was actually married and never told me until one afternoon we were having some ice cream after a long stroll in Central Park when a woman approached us, slapped the shit out of him and started to cuss at me. Turns out the woman was not just his wife but also the mother of his four kids. At that point, I was so horrified that I profusely apologized to his wife, explained to her that I had no idea he was married and left not without telling him to never ever contact me again.

After that I have decided to go one year as single, because obviously my dating life had a pattern and that was that I would always pick guys who are wrong for me in one way or the other. I even went to therapy to figure this out and Dr. Holden thinks that I am self-manipulating by dismissing any guy who seems like a normal, nice guy because Christian was just that, a normal nice guy who hurt me so bad that even years later I can barely think and much less talk about him.

So, to protect myself from having to go through something like that, I pick men I know have something to hide or are simply fucked up, so I can prepare myself from the start that this isn't going anywhere.

The thing is, I want a nice guy... I want my white picket fence happily ever after with a bunch of kids, a great husband and maybe even a dog. I just don't know how to get there. So, for now, I'm enjoying my life as a single woman because I have kissed enough frogs and rather rely on my vibrator than to date some asshole who chances are is either boring or selfish in bed. Honestly, if I would write a book about some of the sexual encounters I have had in my adult life it would be a tragic comedy. It's not that I just had bad sex, but I had my fair share of guys who think they are great and turn out to be horrible. One guy took over thirty minutes to cum... and I'm not talking foreplay including... no, this fucker, pun intended, was going at it for thirty minutes at an insane pace... and I didn't even cum because at first, my head hit the headboard whenever I was close and then I was just over it and hoped he would finish soon because my pussy was over it too. Needless to say, I ended things the next day, but my absolute highlight in terms of weird sex encounters was a guy I had dated for three months, and he never even made a move, then one night we both got a bit drunk, and he just went for it... no foreplay nothing... at least he noticed that that wasn't the way to go but had his very own way of trying to get my pussy wet... because motherfucker took a sip of water at spat it at my ladyparts.

At least he knew he had to get it wet, but I still told him very politely that I'm not in the mood and that I would appreciate it if he could lose my number on his way out. Well, at least Kate still gets a good laugh out of that story every time it somehow comes up on girls nights.

I guess, now it is very obvious that I'm not great at all when it comes to men... at one point I even considered trying to date girls but I know that I'm not a lesbian or bi-sexual so that wouldn't have been fair to anyone I might have met. I guess it's really true when they say you can't have it all.

To be honest though, I have a pretty great life. I have amazing parents, grandparents I adore, an aunt who is a bit crazy and always down to have a fun time, a small group of friends I can always count on and an amazing career I never thought I would have. So, most people would put me in the lucky pile and for most parts, I am a very happy person.

Even my looks have improved considerably. I finally got rid of my braces shortly after I left Harvard, thanks to Kate talking me into trying her daily nine steps skincare routine I no longer have any pimples or blemishes. Where I was stick thin before a regular workout and healthy diet, with some occasional cupcakes and cookies, have helped to give me some curves and a toned body. I no longer need glasses thanks to lasic surgery and regular visits to the hair salon have helped to get my formerly out of control hair in a well-groomed state.

Now, people think of me as attractive or maybe even beautiful and sometimes even I can see it. It took me a long time to get there and saying it out loud for the first time felt very strange but yes, I'm a beautiful young woman. So basically, I have everything going for me to find my Mr. Right. Sadly, the only thing that is keeping me from finding him or even give someone the chance to become my Mr. Right is me.

I guess, I'm just not there yet or maybe it's because deep down I know that a beautiful copper haired boy with stormy gray eyes was my Mr. Right only we met at the wrong time in our lives and I refuse to think about what could have been if we had met later in life because I know we would have made a beautiful couple. We were just too young and stupid... both barely 18 and where I was naive and helplessly fell for him, he was still in a phase where being cool in front of your friends was more important than anything else.

Or maybe I just want that to be the truth because it is easier to believe he let himself get pressured into hurting me than to believe that it was his idea. My therapist even told me to look Christian up and talk to him. To get closure, so I can move on... but I guess I'm a coward when it comes to that.

With a sigh, I slap all thoughts of Christian Grey into the back of my mind and go to bed.

The next day I have a girls day with my good friends Morgan, Libby, and Danika as well as my assistant Paige and in the evening we all had to a great cocktail bar to enjoy some drinks.

"Oh wow, look over there, that's Alec Whitmore, he is a famous baseball player and from what I heard one of the biggest sweethearts ever. I wonder why he hasn't been snatched." Morgan says.

"Probably secretly gay." I mutter and take a sip of my drink.

"Yeah yeah, Debbie Downer, can't you be Suzie Sunshine for a day? Every time there is a great guy you find some reason why he isn't." She says.

"Doesn't he live in your building, Ana." Danika wants to know.

"Yes, I have seen him a couple of times in the elevator." I tell them, and then he approaches and I feel the shutters of my walls come down, because I know this guy is the full package, rich, successful, friendly as hell and from one of my neighbors who dated him for a year I also know that he is marriage material... he is a possible Mr. Right and it scares me.

"Hi... Ana... right? Can I buy you a drink?"

"Nope, I'm good... sorry girls night." I say like the snarky bitch I usually turn into when a nice guy approaches me, and he lifts his hands as if to say don't shoot me and even apologizes for interrupting us before he leaves the table.

And that moment haunts me for the next five days until eventually on Friday afternoon I give up. I need to get over my issues with good guys and finally completely move on, but in order for me to do that, I need to get closure and I know there is only one person who can give me that. So, I take a deep breath and press the button for the speaker on my desk.

"Hey Ana, what do you need?" Paige's voice comes back through the speaker.

"I need you to contact the assistant of Christian Grey, CEO of Grey Enterprises Holdings in Seattle. Schedule a meeting with him for me, a Friday if possible, so I can spend the weekend with my parents."

"Ok, what is the meeting about, do we work with Grey Enterprises... because I can't find them in the list."

"No, we don't they have their own PR and marketing department. Just tell her assistant to ask her boss if he is willing to give me an hour of his time."

"Oh... ok, on it." She says and for the next ten minutes, I shift nervously in my chair and try anything to distract me until Paige comes into my office.

"Well, that was weird." She says and looks a bit confused.

"Weird?" I ask.

"Yes, I got a hold of her number from an assistant at their New York offices and when I called Miss Parker she was rather short with me and told me that Mr. Grey had no opening for new meetings for the next four months. So, I insisted she would ask him and I can tell she was not happy with me but promised to call me back after consulting her boss. She called back only two minutes later to confirm the meeting next Friday at 6:30 pm at Grey House. She even apologized that she couldn't schedule it in as lunch meeting. Oh and here." She says and hands me a sticky note.

"Her number?"

"No, that is Mr. Grey's private phone number. He wanted you to have it and Miss Parker insisted for me to tell you, that Mr. Grey would be happy for you to call him whenever you want to." She says and leaves my office while I stare at the number in my hand and in the end stuff it into my purse.

I guess this is really happening, I can not chicken out now... not after I took the first step... oh god... what have I done?

**Let me know what you think :-)**


	2. Chapter 2

_**Christian**_

Friday... god, I'm so ready for the weekend. Not that the weekend means no work, but at least I can work from home, have no meetings and I might even find the time to hang out with my siblings or join the family dinner on Sunday. At the age of twenty-six, I'm at the absolute height of my career. My company is so successful that I could have retired years ago, according to Forbes I'm the richest man in the US and number three in the world. I own a jet, penthouse, helicopter, boat, a fleet of high-end cars, vacation homes across the world and still, something is missing. There is a void in my life I haven't been able to fill. I have tried hobbies, countless affairs, even short-lived relationships but it never worked for me.

Deep down I know why, but I try to avoid the very thought of the one person in the world who might be able to fill that void inside of me. It's too painful. Remembering her and remembering that it was my own fault that I lost her. And even though losing her was one of the most painful things I had to go through in my life, it also made me stronger. It made me wake up and realize that I had been nothing but a spoiled rich kid who thought that he had the right to do whatever he pleased to do. It was a rude awakening in many ways and I lost a lot through it.

First, I lost my chance to study at an Ivy League college. Right after what had happened took place there was an internal investigation and I took the entire blame. My so called friends said nothing and before they even could think about blaming Ana in any way, I decided to man the fuck up and took the blame for the entire fucking event. The result was that I got kicked out of Harvard.

My parents took me home and the conversation that followed was probably the worst tongue lashing I have ever received. My dad was livid, had I been any younger I'm sure he would have beaten the hell out of me. My mom's reaction was way worse because for the first time in my life all I could see in her eyes was a disappointment when she looked at me. Then she started to cry and left the room, refusing to talk to me for two full days.

Since my chances to get into another good college were gone my dad made me work at his law firm for the next year until I was supposed to attend WSU. All I wanted was to contact Ana, but my parents told me I wasn't allowed to contact anyone until they decided the time was right. When they finally gave in to my begging I took my brother's car and drove to Montesano to find her. It took me an hour to find her parent's house. When I arrived her Dad had just come home and was even polite enough to tell me that his daughter had left to attend a new college, without telling me where she had gone to study mind you, before he knocked me to my ass.

Until this very moment, I had prided myself by never being scared of anything. Ray Steele is the one exception and I'm not too proud to say that looking at the father of the girl I used for my personal entertainment and seeing that he was trying his hardest not to kill me right then and there made me get up and run to my car like a bitch. Her dad isn't the tallest or most muscle packed guy I have ever seen, but he for damn sure put the fear of God in me that day and even now I can do well without ever having to be anywhere near him again.

After that day and without knowing where Ana went, I gave up on finding her. She deserved better than me anyway and what was there to say any way. I had no good excuse, just that I was spoiled piece of shit who didn't think about anything else but myself only to realize that in doing so I lost the best thing that has ever happened to me.

I had never met a girl who liked me for just being me, not because I was the quarterback of the football team, not because I had a great car, not because my parents had tons of money... no Ana liked me because of me and I guess that is what I'm still missing today, because sadly, I have never met a girl like her again.

These days it's mostly gold diggers or chicks whose friends I have already banged, so they know they'll have a fun night and maybe even some gifts if they fuck me. It's disgusting to really think about, but short of hiring escorts they are the easiest to find when I'm too lonely at my place to spend the night alone. It's funny, when I was young I thought money could buy you everything, turns out it can't and even all the money in the world can't hide the fact that I'm fucking lonely.

Deciding I have wallowed in my self-pity for long enough I had into my next meeting and I'm just back on my way to my office when Andrea stops me.

"I'm sorry, Sir. Miss Paige Nolan just called and requested to schedule a meeting for her boss with you."

"So?"

"Well, her boss is the VP of a marketing company, and she couldn't even tell me what the meeting is about."

"Well, tell her to fuck off."

"Very well, I'm sure this Miss Steele is just another..."

"What?!" I scream so loud everyone is staring at me and even some heads pop out of their offices but I dismiss them with a particular angry look.

"I... um..."

"God damn it, what is the name of this VP?"

"Miss Anastasia Steele." She says and for a second I'm lost in thoughts.

* * *

_**\- Flashback 2008 -**_

_"Why her... we said the weirdest chick, not the ugliest cow you guys could find." I mutter pissed._

_"Hey, I mean, look at her, she's a doozy. Plus, I put my car on the line, so I better find the one chick you can't get to drop her panties for you."_

_"You wish." I smirk, I don't give a fuck about his shitty car, but my friends have challenged me and I enjoy a good challenge._

_I sit back and watch the stick thin girl walk to her dorm with her head bowed and while she is carrying what looks to be a library's worth of books. If she's that much into books I might have to wrap my dick in one for her to get in the mood._

_I keep watching her and see my chance to pounce as she stumbles, sends all of her books fly everywhere and makes a rather impressive face plant onto the concrete._

_"Watch and learn." I mutter to my friends and run over to the girl that is trying to get up but so clumsy that she falls yet again. Dear God, how did she survive until now if she can't even walk without almost killing herself._

_"Here let me help you." I say and lift her to her feet. "Are you ok?"_

_"I um… Yes... thanks." She mumbles so fucking shy as if she had never talked to a guy before._

_"Wait, I'll get your books. Do you live here?"_

_"Yes, well... it's not my home... that's in Montesano... this my dorm and... I mean... oh god, I need to stop talking." She mutters completely embarrassed and I try hard not to laugh at her._

_"Well, I'm from Seattle, so since that's pretty close we have to be friends right?"_

_"I um..." Yup, shocked her into silence._

_"Come on, I'll carry your books to your room for you. They are way too heavy for you to carry."_

_"I..."_

_"No, no argument, lead the way, pretty eyes." I say and watch her blush turn into a dark red shade that makes me worry her head might explode._

_"Hey Chris, can you carry my dick too, it's really heavy." I hear my friend Alden call out after me._

_"Ignore them... they share a brain and today it's not Alden's turn." I tell the chick as I follow her to her room like a fucking puppy and inside I roll my eyes when I see that my friend's Parker's girl Leila is her roommate._

_She is the most annoying bitch I have ever met, honestly, I would rather fuck my ninety-year-old neighbor than to even look at the bitch for too long. At first, I thought she was cool until she stayed in the room I share with Parker one night and after we all fell asleep I woke up to her trying to stuff my flaccid dick into her mouth. Now, I usually get hard just thinking about getting hard but having my friend's girl trying to suck me off while he is in the room made my dick want to crawl back in my body._

_So, I dragged her sorry ass out of the room and told her to never pull a stunt like that again or I would make sure everyone knows what a fucking whore she is. She tried to blame it on too much alcohol and a smoke she had, but I wasn't having it. Since then, we haven't talked and I decided not to tell Parker since I know he has some side chicks as well._

_"Thank you." She says and I watch her pull the mess of brown, unkempt looking curls up into a bun. Fuck me, she actually has a pretty face, it's just hidden behind all the hair falling into it, the ugly fucking glasses and some mild skincare issues... but if she wanted to, I'm sure she could look pretty awesome._

_"You're welcome... I'm Christian." I say and hold my hand out to her._

_"Anastasia... but you can call me Ana." She replies and I nearly jump when she places her small hand in mine because it's like I just got zapped, and she seems to feel the same electric currant because she pulls her hand back almost immediately._

_"I like Anastasia... beautiful name for a beautiful girl." I say wink at her and turn to leave._

_"I'll see you around." I mutter smile one last time at her and leave. Yup, she's hocked, now I just have to get her naked and beneath me... no biggie._

* * *

_**\- Present time -**_

"Sir? Do you want me to tell her assistant you are not available?"

"No... what else did she say."

"Well, only that Miss Steele has requested a meeting and if possible next Friday or any Friday after that if it fits your schedule."

"Next Friday."

"But Sir, you are having meetings all day, none of which can be rescheduled."

"Then fucking schedule her in after-hours... I don't give a fuck... just make it work. 6:30 pm... and call Canlis after you have confirmed the meeting. Miss Steele doesn't eat red meat or seafood... so maybe a three course or five-course meal with chicken... and something with white chocolate for dessert... no cherries though... she doesn't like them in her dessert." I ramble and Andrea's eyes widen by the second.

"What?"

"Nothing, I'll make the arrangements, Sir... anything else?"

"Yes, give her assistant my private cell number... I want Miss Steele to be able to call me at any time she pleases." I say and Andrea nods shocked before she leaves to make the call.

In the evening when leave the office with my security guard Taylor behind me I'm restless. I need company but don't want to bring a random woman home to fuck... it just feels wrong.

"Taylor we are not going to Escala, we are going to Elliot's."

"As you wish, Sir." He says and half an hour later he pulls up in Elliot's driveway where my brother is shooting some hoops. So, I leave my jacket in the car and pull the sleeves of my white shirt up as I approach him.

"Catch, kiddo." He says and I roll my eyes as I catch the ball. Elliot is just five years older than I am, yet he always calls me kiddo...

"Is Elise home?"

"Nope, my wife is visiting her parents. I wanted to go with her, but I have to work the weekend to meet a deadline at a building, or we'll have to get another appointment for the inspection which can take months at the moment."

"Sounds fucked up."

"Yup... so, what brings you here, kiddo?"

"I'm going to see Ana next Friday, she had her assistant call mine to schedule a meeting."

"Ana... wait... the Ana? The girl from Harvard?"

"The very same."

"Put the ball down, let's have a beer and sit down to talk." He says, and we head inside to sit down in the kitchen where he gets a can of beer for each of us.

"Do you know why she wants to see you now after so many years?"

"No... I have no clue... Christ, what the hell am I supposed to say to her to make this right, Elliot?"

"I don't know... I guess a simple sorry doesn't cut it. Maybe just hear her out, she has to have a reason for wanting to see you after all this time."

"I hate the unexpected and I can't figure out why now... seven years ago, sure that's when we should have talked but now..."

"Bro, you did use protection with her, right?"

"Of course I did... I was a fucking stupid asshole, but I wasn't the guy to take any risk of putting a girl into that kind of trouble. Plus, by that time I wasn't faking it anymore. I was in love with her and I wasn't about to take any chances of knocking her up thereby ensuring she would have to leave Harvard and me with it." I mutter.

"It was just a thought, her having your kid would explain why she wants to see you. The kid would be old enough to ask questions about you by now."

"She doesn't have children." I say as a matter of fact, and he looks at me with a raised eyebrow.

"Hold on, have you been keeping tabs on her?"

"No... well, about four years ago I just needed to know how she had been. I looked up online. She had just started to work for a well-known marketing company in New York. Managed to make it from assistant to a junior consultant within the first three months of being there by winning over a huge deal for them and apparently now she is VP and partner."

"In only four years... sounds like she..."

"Do not say it, Elliot. I know what it sounds like but Ana is not that kind of girl."

"Look kiddo, you knew her seven years ago, you don't know her now. Not saying she fucked her way to the top but if she hasn't, she must be one tough chick now... not the girl you knew. Just keep that in mind, I know you fucked up bad, but unlike our parents who never realized it, I saw right away that you loved the girl... maybe that's why you haven't found another girl for more than a fuck yet. Try to see this as a chance to get closure not to win her back... if it's meant to be it will happen either way." He says and I frown.

"Since when are you an expert in that kind of stuff?"

"Found my girl when I was sixteen, was clever enough not to date her until after college when I was sure I was ready not to fuck it up and have been blissfully happy with her ever since... I guess that at least makes my advice worth to considerate."

I guess he has a point, I need to wait and see what this is all about. After all, Ana is the VP of a big company, so maybe the only reason she has requested to see me is because she wants to ask for a favor for one of clients... Fuck, this is going to drive me insane, next Friday can't come fast enough...


	3. Chapter 3

**Ana**

"Honey, are you alright?" I hear my Mom behind me as I am about to change for the millionth time. Since I had to take today off anyway, I decided to come to Seattle early and flew down from New York with the last flight late last night.

This morning, I had brunch with my parents, helped my Dad organize his garage and then took my mom on a little shopping spree. They are both retired now, my mom by choice to keep my dad company and my dad because the arthritis in his hands has gotten so bad he can't work as a carpenter anymore. Though he still builds things in his garage and keeps himself busy by helping neighbors if they need something done at their house. My mom has found her passion for gardening and I'm just happy they are happy. Since I was able to pay them back for my education and then some, I know they were uncomfortable with taking money from me but I made a deal with them.

I was allowed to put whatever I felt of putting into their accounts and in return they had to promise me to always take good care of themselves, enjoy their retirement and be around for many, many more years, because even with me living on a different coast and having my own life, it's always like coming home when I'm with them and I still call my parents for advice at least once or twice a month. They have both in their early sixties, so I'm positive they'll be around for many more years, but it still makes me happy to know that after a life of hard work, raising first their only daughter and then me... the daughter of their only child which turned into such a bitter disappointment for them... that I just want them happy.

It's also my way of saying thank you. They had my real mom when they were just sixteen and worked hard to make their little family work. My mom, Cara, didn't appreciate their efforts. She ran away from home when she was seventeen and returned three years later with me in tow. I was just a little over a year at the time, malnourished, behind in both physical and mental development, because she had not taken proper care of me. When my dad saw that I was also pretty bruised up he told Cara point-blank that she was an adult now and was free to leave but I would stay with them. Apparently, she told them that she only had come back to drop me off anyway, left and never came back.

When I was ten, and they decided it was time to explain to me that they are really my grandparents, they also tried to find her but when they did she was married and had three more children. She told them she had told her husband her family is dead and that she wasn't interested in anything regarding her old life.

And we haven't heard from her ever since. It's not like I miss her, but it's weird to think that someone can just leave loving parents behind, then drop off a child without ever looking back and start over.

"Are you daydreaming, sweetheart?" My mom asks gently and I snap back into the now.

"Sorry... I was just... I don't know, I'm nervous and I don't do nervous, Mom." I sigh and sit down on the bed in the guest room that is mine whenever I'm home.

"What is the meeting about?" She asks and sits down on the chair by the vanity unit.

"It's not really meeting... look, I have been seeing a therapist for over ten months now."

"A therapist, darling are you overworked, do you need to take a break? You can always come home..."

"Mom, no, it has nothing to do with my work. I love my work. It's just you know I think I'm ready to find someone to spend my life with. Or at least that's my goal, but... for years now all the men I dated were wrong in one way or the other and deep down I knew. It's not like nice guys don't approach me, but I shut them down right away. It's always the same, I see someone with the potential to be my Mr. Right and the shutters go down. My therapist believes it's because of Christian. He seemed perfect, he was nice, charming, caring, funny, and he made me feel like I'm not the odd one out, that I was actually worth to be with someone like him... and then it all came crashing down, so now I'm self-manipulating by setting myself up with guys I know are going to be a disappointment, so I kind of just wait for the other shoe to drop. I just don't ever want to be hurt like that again, Mom. My therapist believes I need to talk to Christian, get closure, so I can move on." I tell her, and she gets up, takes my hands and crouches down in front of me.

"So, you are going to meet Christian Grey today?"

"Yes, and I don't know what to do... or what to expect."

"I can't tell you what is going to happen, but there is something you should know. About a week after you went to Princeton he came to Montesano."

"What, why?"

"He was looking for you, darling. He came to our house and well, let's just say your dad was handling it the best he could."

"Oh my God, he beat him up, right?" I gasp.

"I believe he punched him once. Now, I do not condone any kind of violence, but the boy had it coming. He hurt you, took a big chance away from you... well, you know all of that. Back then your father and I decided not to tell you, but since you are going to see him now you should know it in case he brings it up."

"OK... Mom... help me find something to wear. I can't find anything that seems appropriate, it's not a business meeting, but also not a date or a friendly catch up with an old friend."

"May I?" She asks and nods into the direction of my oversized suitcase.

"Sure."

I watch as she looks through the clothes I brought with me and selects black skinny jeans, a white button-down blouse, a black blazer, and nude high heels. Not a combination I would have picked but after I have put it on and look at it in the mirror I actually feel good about it.

"Thank you, Mom."

"Your most welcome, sweetheart."

"Are you going to tell, Dad?"

"You know, there are things he doesn't need to know." She says with a wink and I get up, grab my purse and the keys for my rental car.

"Wish me luck."

"You don't need luck, Ana. Just remember, you are not the girl he knew anymore. You are a strong, confident and very successful young woman."

"I'll keep that in mind." I say as I hug my mom and then leave the house, get into my rental car and drive to downtown Seattle where Grey House is located.

It's funny, that I have avoided running into this man for so long, yet here I am, going to meet with him by my own free will. There had been occasions when I knew he was in New York and not went to some events because I knew he would be there too. It wasn't that I was scared of seeing him... well, not so much anyway, but I didn't know what my reaction would have been and I just couldn't take the risk of creating a scene in a room full of clients and potential future clients.

Maybe I should have insisted on meeting on neutral grounds, but by meeting him at his offices I know I can make an easy escape if I need to since he wouldn't risk creating a scene in front of his staff. Or at least I hope so.

After I found a parking spot I walk into the building but see that no one is at the front desk.

"Miss Steele?" I hear a male voice and find a tall guy with a buzz cut dressed in black by the elevator.

"Yes?"

"I'm Jason Taylor, head of Mr. Grey's security. Please follow me." He says and calls the elevator.

"Have you been working long for Mr. Grey?" I ask when we step into the elevator.

"About 4 years now, Ma'am." He says and as usual, I fight the urge to cringe I get whenever someone calls me Ma'am. I know it's polite, but it makes me feel old.

"Does he always have meetings this late?"

"No, Ma'am." He says and I get a feeling he doesn't like to talk, so I keep my mouth shut for the next minute and nearly gasp when the door opens to reveal Christian just three feet away from the elevator.

Damn it... he is one of those guys who get hotter with age... couldn't he at least have a bald spot, a beer gut or something...

"Ana!" He says with a big smile and I know he is going for a hug, so I beat him to it and hold my hand out.

"Christian, thank you for agreeing to see me on such short notice." I say, and for a second I think he looks upset but then the expression is gone, and he gives me a polite smile and takes my hand... and there it is, the spark... this weird feeling that starts where our skin connects and then runs haywire through my entire body making me highly alert to how close he is.

"Tell me you felt that too." He says quietly.

"Are you in the habit of holding meetings in the foyer?" I ask instead of answering his question.

"No, of course not, please follow me, I hope you don't mind that I have ordered dinner for us. I usually have dinner around this time."

"Still a creature of habit." I say before I can stop myself and he shrugs.

"I like having certain routines, it keeps my life structured. I ordered our food at Canlis, no red meat or seafood for you." He says as we enter the meeting room where, who I assume is his assistant has just finished to set up the food for us.

"If I have a choice, yes." I confirm, and we sit down and wait for her to leave the room.

"Wine, Ana?"

"Yes, thank you." I say, and he fills two glasses and hands me one.

"So, what brings you here, Ana. I've heard you made a career in New York."

"Yes, I'm the Vice President and partner at Howard, Everton and Steele Marketing."

"Impressive, how did you manage to become a partner this quick, it usually takes years to get there?" He says and I straighten my shoulders because I get the feeling he is insinuating something many other people have done before.

"Through hard work and dedication. I work up to 80 hours a week, sometimes even more. It's not about how old you are, it's about how much you want to succeed, but I guess I don't have to tell you that." I damn near snap.

"I'm sorry, there are rumors..."

"Oh, I know all the rumors, but they are just that, rumors. Made up shit by jealous assholes who believe just because they have a dick they are entitled to get a job the haven't done anything for to deserve it. I work just as hard as anyone else who managed to get far at a young age, yet, just because I happen to be a woman it's clear to all men that I have fucked my way to the top. Is it really that threatening to men that women can work just as hard and be just as successful as they are?" I ask and take a sip of wine almost chocking on it when he smirks at me.

"I'm sorry, Ana. You are right. In fact, most of my top staff is female, because women tend to do less ass-kissing and are more determined to shine through their work. I guess I just had to know if the rumors are true."

"They are not. All I had to do was mentioning that I'm thinking about starting my own company while my boss was listening. They knew that I wouldn't need long to become serious competition, so they made me a partner instead, which incidentally was what I truly wanted."

"I'm happy for you that your career worked out the way you wanted it too... so, is this a business meeting?" He asks and I look at my hands.

"No."

"Then what is it?" He questions and I know it's time to face the music.

"I'm working on some personal issues, so I guess closure would be the reason that I'm here."

"What do you want to know?"

"Let's start with the why." I suggest.

"You are not going to like this... but I don't want to lie, so I guess there is no way to say this nicely. The guys I called my friends back then challenged me to a bet."

"What kind of bet?"

"To seduce the weirdest girl they could pick for me." He says shamefaced and I just look at him.

"OK, so that's it, it was just a bet?"

"Actually no, but I didn't know everything behind it until I met Alden by chance years later. Your roommate Leila had applied to get a room for herself and didn't get it. They had planned everything for you to quit school, so she could have the room to herself."

"Wow... so to sum it up, to you I was just a stupid..."

"No, that's not true, Ana." He stops me and I raise an eyebrow a habit I actually picked up from him doing it all the time.

"Look, yes, I would have never approached you if it wasn't for the bet and at first I didn't realize what was happening to me, but when I did everything was real... do you remember the day we went to the lake?" He asks and I close my eyes because of course, I remember, after all, it was the day when at the age of 18 I finally had my first kiss.

* * *

**\- Flashback 2008 -**

_"What are you up to this afternoon?" my roommate Leila asks as I grab my bag._

_"Christian wants to take me to a lake." I reply. I still can't believe Christian wants to hang out with me. He has friends, is popular, comes from a rich family and I'm... well, I'm just me._

_"Christian huh? I heard he is a great lay, huge dick." She smirks and I blush a deep red._

_"He's my friend... not... you know."_

_"Ana, you better start to remove the do not disturb sign from your pussy, because that's what he's after, but don't worry, he's a good guy, so you might even get more than just a season ticket on his special ride." She says with a wink and I murmur a goodbye and nearly run from the room. Of course, Leila is gorgeous so all she knows is that boys want to be with her if they show interest in her. I on the other side am not that kind of girl and even anyone wanting to be my friend is a novelty for me._

_I wish I was like her because I really like Christian, but I'm not stupid enough to think that we could ever be more than friends. For my entire childhood and school I was the girl no one wanted to be friends with, so even finding a friend here is so much more than I was hoping for that I don't want to ruin it by falling for a guy who is way out of my league._

_When I leave the dorm Christian is already outside waiting for me, and he is carrying a basket._

_"Hey pretty eyes, ready for a picknick at the lake?" He asks._

_"We are having a picknick?" I ask excited._

_"That's the plan. Come, my car is parked off-campus." He says and thirty minutes later we are on a blanket by the lake._

_"Tell me more about yourself." He says._

_"I was born in Seattle, but grew up in Montesano."_

_"What about your parents?" He asks and I decide not to tell him about Cara. Growing up in a small town everyone knew that my mom and dad are actually my grandparents and the sentence 'they are not your parents' or 'your parents didn't want you' have made me cry so often that I decided long ago never to share what happened to me as a baby with anyone._

_"My dad is a carpenter and my mom is a kindergarten teacher. They still live in Montesano. What about your family."_

_"My mom is a pediatrician and my Dad is a lawyer. I have an older brother Elliot, who is an architect and a younger sister Mia who just hit her teens and is giving my parents a run for their money."_

_"So you are all a few years apart?"_

_"Yes, with their busy career, they decided to always wait until one kid is in school before having another one. After Mia, they decided that three kids are enough. Do you have siblings?"_

_"No, I'm an only child." I say and it's true, well, I can't count Cara's kids as my siblings since I have never met them._

_"But I bet you had a lot of friends growing up in a small town." He says and I want to laugh._

_"Not really... want to see a trick." I say to distract him and take a water bottle._

_"Sure, what's the trick." He asks, so I open the water bottle, place it on the blanket and smile at him._

_"Look into the bottle and tell me what you see." I say, and he shrugs leans over and looks into the bottle._

_"Can you see it?" I ask, and he moves in closer and right then I squeeze the bottle and splash his face with water._

_"What the... are you laughing at me? That's it, you are in for some revenge." He says grinning but all I hear is revenge, so I jump up and make a run for it. Of course, he is way faster than I am, so he catches me, which makes me stumble, and we land on the grass with him on top of me._

_I don't know why, but I reach up and push his now wet hair out of his face but when I look at him, he is just smiling._

_"What?" I ask._

_"I just realized something... don't move." He says and it only takes me one second to realize what he is about to do. My heart is beating so fast I might get a heart attack but then his lips are on mine and all thoughts of anything else are forgotten..._

* * *

**\- Present time -**

"Yes, I remember that day why?"

"That was the day I knew."

"You knew what, Christian... that you could win your stupid bet?" I snap.

"No, it was then when I knew that the bet was over because I had realized that I had fallen in love with you... and I still love you today."

Oh. My. Fucking. God!


	4. Chapter 4

**Christian**

Nice one Grey, I think to myself as I watch Ana stare at me in utter disbelieve. I guess I shouldn't have added the last part, but being in the same room with her and looking at her has brought back my feelings for her full force. Damn it, she is mine and this time I'm not going to fuck it up again.

"Excuse me... but are you crazy, you don't even know me anymore." Ana finally says and I smirk because it's refreshing to have a woman speak her mind in my presence when they usually all put an act on to impress me.

"Then give me a chance to get to know you again. We could meet tomorrow for a tour with my boot..."

"Stop it, I'm not here to kiss and make up. I am here to listen to your side of the story, so I can finally move on and find someone to spend my life with and whoever that person is going to be, it's not you. I don't know why you decided to lie to me but maybe it's just in your nature. Because the day I believe that you ever loved me is going to be a damn cold day in hell." She all but yells at me and storms out of the meeting room.

Oh no, she's running from me again... but this time I won't let her. So I follow her and find her by the elevators.

"Ana wait, please, you wanted to hear my side of the story. So, at least give me the benefit of the doubt. Yes, I was a stupid teenage asshole, but you changed me..."

"Stop... just stop, this is getting ridiculous. Coming here was a mistake, sorry for wasting your time." She says and I want to follow her into the elevator, but I know at this moment nothing I say will make her believe me. So, I let her leave and tell Taylor to drive me to my brother's place.

"I take it things didn't go well, kiddo." Elliot says when he opens the door for me.

"If by didn't go well you mean that I blurted out that I still love her and she pretty much called me a liar, yes, then I guess saying it didn't go well is right." I mutter and walk into the kitchen where my sister in law is cooking.

"Hey Christian, are you staying for dinner."

"Sorry, lost my appetite." I mutter and grab a beer from the fridge.

"You told her you love her?" Elliot asks as he joins me at the kitchen table.

"Yes, I couldn't help it... seeing her again... fuck me, for years I couldn't figure out what was missing in my life, Elliot. Now I know, it's her. She's my girl, Elliot, I just need to convince her that I didn't set the entire thing up... that I stopped seeing what was happening like a bet I was trying to win the moment I knew I was in love with her."

"Look kiddo, I'm not saying there is no chance to get the girl... but it might be a lot of work if she isn't believing a word you say. And what if you get to know her again and don't like the person she is now?"

"I can still see my Ana in her eyes Elliot... she is in there somewhere, I just need to find a way for her to let me in."

"Why her, you dated her for three months..."

"I don't know, she is just it for me... I tried seven years not to think about her and never met anyone who came even remotely close to her... plus, I have nothing to lose in trying."

"She lives in New York, right?"

"I have a jet and offices in New York, so that's not an issue..." I reply and decide that I need more information on her so I send an e-mail to Welch, who is my security adviser at GEH to send me a full background check on Ana and to find out if she has already left Seattle again.

Three hours later I'm in my study at Escala and read through the information that Welch has gathered. She has graduated on top of her class at Princeton, worked her way to the top in record time and lives at an well-known apartment building. What really bucks me are the few pictures of her with other men Welch found online. I know she isn't with any of them anymore but just the thought that at one point she was makes me want to find those assholes and beat the hell out of them.

Welch also found out that Ana is staying in Seattle until Sunday afternoon and that her parents now live in Seattle. So, I have decided to pay her a visit tomorrow.

When I arrive at her parent's place around ten the next morning I ring the doorbell and curse inwardly when it is her Dad who opens the door.

"Your bad I never forget the face of people who made it on my shitlist." He says and slams the door shut again without even giving me the chance to say anything. Well, that could have gone better, but I try again and this time a woman who I'm sure is Ana's mother opens the door.

"Yes?"

"Good morning, Mrs. Steele. My name is Christian Grey, I would like to speak to your daughter." I say politely.

"Oh dear, Ana is in the pool, I'll see what I can do. I apologize Mr. Grey, but I can't ask you to come inside, my husband wouldn't like it and I'm not sure my daughter would either. Just a minute." She says and again the door is shut in my face.

Two minutes later Ana steps outside barefoot and just with a cover-up over her still wet bikini.

"Do I want to know how you found out where I am?" She asks.

"I have my ways, get dressed we are taking a trip."

"Excuse me?"

"You came here all the way from New York to get closure and listen to my side of the story, yet, you ran out on me again and this time we are going to talk. We have already lost seven years, I'm not willing to add even another day to that time. Just the opposite, we are going to talk, now please get dressed."

"I don't think so..."

"Ana, I'm prepared to throw you over my shoulder and drag you into my car dressed as you are, now please, do not make this difficult."

"Fine." She snaps and storms into the house. Five minutes later she is back wearing a yellow sundress and flip-flops.

"What, don't expect me to dress up on a rare day off." She says when I just look at her.

"I was actually thinking that you are even more beautiful than before."

"Bite me." She replies and stomps to my car, so I open the door for her and drive to the marina with her.

"You still drive like an actual insane person." She huffs when we reach the marina and it makes me smile because in college she used to tell me that I was the most horrible driver she had ever met while I decided not to tell her that she was driving like a grandma.

"What can I say, I like to drive fast. Now, come, the Grace is this way."

"You named your boat after your mom?"

"I sure did, come, you are going to love the boat, you still enjoy sailing right?" I ask and she sighs.

"I haven't been out on the water since the last time you took me sailing at Harvard."

"Then it's time you get back out there, I might even let you be the captain again." I wink at her and take her hand so she has to follow me to the Grace where Mac is already waiting for us to arrive.

"Morning, Mr. Grey... everything is ready."

"Great, you are taking the wheel today, Mac. This is Miss Anastasia Steele. Ana, this is Ian MacDonnell or Mac for short."

After helping Mac to get everything set and we are on the water I ask Ana to sit on the deck with me.

"So, can I tell you my side of the story now?" I ask and she purses her lips.

"I won't jump overboard, so you might as well talk."

"Great." I cheer and then look at her. She still has that stubborn look she doesn't even realize is just cute and in no way intimidating, but even though I could just look at her all day, I decide to talk instead.

"I was a bored, spoilt and entitled rich kid with no worries in the world. I never had to work for anything. Got perfect grades without learning, became quarterback without investing too much time in the team... at home, my parents tried their best to raise my siblings and I into responsible people, but if they have any fault then it's that they love their children maybe too much. My mom miscarried three times before she had Elliot. Two more times before I came along and a year before she had Mia she had to give birth to dead twins just three weeks before the due date. I guess that is why they spoilt us with everything our hearts desired. We never had to do anything we didn't want to, got everything served on a silver platter. Elliot turned out great despite of it, he had a learning disability, always had to work extra hard to have decent grades, I guess that kept him more humble. I on the other hand... well, I thought the world was waiting for me." I stop, realizing once again what a complete asshole I had been in my teens.

"Anyway, when I went to Harvard I met Parker and Alden. We became friends quickly since they were just like me. During the first year, I got kind of a reputation since I would bring a new girl to my room each weekend. At first, it started as a game. We would go to a party, they would point to a hot girl and I would seduce her. It was fun at the time... something boys do. Then they came to me with a dare, they would pick a girl, the weirdest girl the could find, and if I would manage to seduce her I would get Alden's car. I didn't even want his car, but my asshole ego wouldn't allow me not to take the dare. It was supposed to be a quick deal. Meet you, get you in my bed and that's it. But as you know, things turned out very differently."

"Was it a blow to your ego that I wasn't dropping my panties the moment you showed any kind of interest in me?" Ana says with a slight smirk and I smirk back.

"No, actually quite the opposite. Up until I met you, girls never managed to keep my interest for more than a day or two. With you everything was different."

"So, you didn't just take me sailing three weeks after we started dating to seal the deal?" She asks and my mind drifts back to the weekend I went sailing with Ana.

* * *

**\- Flashback Fall 2008 -**

_"Where are we going, Christian?" Ana asks for the millionth time while I'm driving._

_"The weather is great, right?" I grin and she pouts. Christ, I have no idea what this girl has done to me, but even just watching her pout makes my heart race._

_Thirty minutes later we have finally reached our destination and I help her onto the boat I have rented until Sunday afternoon._

_"You are taking me sailing?" She asks clearly excited and when I nod she jumps into my arms and kisses me._

_And that is why I have fallen for this girl. She is like a breath of fresh air. Where the girls I knew would be bored or find something to complain, Ana is always excited and loves to actually do things instead of staying home all day or just go shopping. Last weekend, I got us some dirtbikes and I thought I would have to teach her how to ride a bike, but she surprised me by taking the helmet I got for her and then she just hopped on the bike and made me eat dust while she drove around with it. She told me later that her father has a thing for motorbikes and that she had often helped him to fix old motorbikes in his garages. By the time she was fifteen, he taught her how to ride them and he promised her that after college he would get her her own bike and they would take a trip down Route 66._

_"Can you teach me how to sail?" She asks when I explain to her how to set the sails._

_"Sure, how about today you watch me and I explain it to you and tomorrow you get to be behind the wheel." I offer and watch as her face lights up with excitement._

_In the evening we are in the small cabin of the boat making out and all I want is to be inside of her, the thought of finally being as close as possible to Ana has been consuming my thoughts and even my dreams for weeks now, but when I move to take her sleep shirt off the stops me._

_"Please don't be mad, but I'm not ready for that yet." She says shyly and even though I am disappointed I pull her closer into my arms and kiss her temple._

_"I'm not mad... we take this at your pace... just don't forget to let me know once your ready or I might die of blue balls." I joke and she giggles._

_"I promise, the moment I feel ready you are the first to know."_

_"Good, now what do you want to do?" I ask and she surprises me when she gets up, grabs her backpack and returns with a book._

_"A book?"_

_"Yes, one of my favorites... I want to read it to you." She says with a smile and for some strange reason my normal reaction of telling her to fuck off is replaced by a big smile. I have no idea what this girl is doing to me. All I know is I hope she'll never stop because I have never felt as alive as I do now in every single moment I get to spend with her._

**\- End of Flashback -**

* * *

"I won't lie, Ana. Yes, I was hoping that we would have sex that night, but it didn't bother me that it didn't happen. I was just happy to spend more time with you. Look, what happened between us started as a dare, but it certainly didn't stay just a dare for me. I fell in love with you and once we were dating I was serious about our relationship. That night... I had no idea Parker and Leila had put the webcam on to stream what was supposed to be a very private moment for both of us for the entire college to see."

"It was your room and your friend... don't tell me you didn't know."

"I didn't Ana, I had no fucking idea what was happening. Not until we went to that damned party and everyone was making comments... everything that happened between us, how I felt about you, it was all real Ana and..."

"Stop it. I want to go home now."

"Ana..."

"Now, Christian. Take me home or so help me I will jump off this boat and swim to the shore." She hisses and I can see that she means it, so I tell Mac to turn around and soon we are back in my car and I drive her home while she ignores me completely.

When I stop outside her parent's place she jumps out of the car, but I follow her. If I let her go now, I know I won't get another chance.

"Why are you so upset with me, I told you I had no idea." I say and I'm shocked to see tears in her eyes.

"Because all I wanted was the truth, not even an apology, just the truth. And you couldn't even give me that much."

"But I did tell you the truth, Ana."

"Oh really, did you know that I had to return to Harvard to talk to the dean? I was asked not to return, they, of course, couldn't kick me out as that would have given me grounds to sue. Do you want to know what he told me? He told me that you got kicked out because you admitted that it was all your idea, that you sat up the camera and activated the live stream." She says and I want to kick myself.

"Ana, yes, I did admit that it was all me, but only because I knew Alden, Parker, and Leila would throw you under the bus to stay at Harvard. My parents had already told me that I would have to come home with them, so I took the blame to protect you."

"Just stop with the lies... I can't do this..." She says and wants to go inside, but I hold her back.

"Please, tell me what to do to get a second chance. I'd do whatever it takes to convince you that we deserve a second chance. Please, Ana... we already lost so many years and I'm tired of being miserable and alone and so are you. You didn't come to see me to get closure and deep down you know it. You haven't been able to move on either. So, tell me what I have to do to make this right?" I beg her and she looks at me for a long time.

"So, you want a second chance?"

"Yes."

"Fine, there are three things you can do and then I will give you a second chance."

"State your demands, Miss Steele." I say with the biggest most idiotic grin on my face that makes her lips twitch a little.

"First, find a way to prove to me that you had nothing to do with what happened that night. Second, get my father's approval to date me, because I can't be with someone my father doesn't approve of and third, move to New York. If you can do all of that I will give you a second chance." She says and walks to the front door that closes behind her just a second later.

Well, it looks like I have my work cut out for me, but hell if I won't get all of it done. With Ana as my prize, I know I can do whatever it takes to get all of it done...


	5. Chapter 5

_**Ana**_

"And you really asked him to move to New York?" Kate asks while we are at my place cooking dinner together.

"Yes, I mean he just wasn't going to be honest. So, I made demands I was sure he couldn't fulfill."

"What if he does?" Kate says and I roll my eyes.

"Be serious, Christian Grey is the CEO of a billion-dollar company which is based in Seattle. Meaning, his place is in Seattle. There is no way he can simply move to a different coast."

"But what if he does." She insists and suddenly gasps.

"What?"

"You want him to move! Admit it! You are blushing, I haven't seen you blush in years... Ana are you still into him?" She asks and that has me emptying my glass of wine in one long sip.

"Look I can't do this again... I... Kate I have made a horrible mistake." I sigh and sit down on one of the barstools.

"What kind of mistake?" Kate asks while she refills my glass.

"I thought by talking to him just one more time I would be able to finally move on and now... it's a disaster, he is on my mind 24/7. I can't function like this... all I can think about is how I want him to not be the miserable liar I thought he is. I mean... am I going crazy? Why would I want the man who has made me miserable for so long back in my life?"

"Look sweetie, you heard his side of the story, you know yours, but you have to take into account that maybe he really had no idea that your first time became the hit live stream on campus that day. It's fucked up and I'm so sorry you had to go through something like that, but maybe Christian is really innocent, maybe he just realized what a great girl you are and had genuine feelings for you."

"Why are you on his side?" I ask shocked.

"I'm not, I'm always on your side, Ana and you know it. Still, I have seen you with the scumbags you went on dates with and you never looked as happy as every time you have mentioned Christian Grey's name... I can't really describe it, but every time you mention him there is a spark in your eyes I haven't seen before. So, I want him to be honest, because that means you'll get a second chance with your Mr. Right."

"It's not going to happen, Kate. It's been a month and I haven't heard from him."

**Meanwhile in Seattle - Christian**

"You again... well, at least I have to admit that you are not easily giving up." Ray Steele mutters when he sees me. At this point, I'm sure I could be classified as his stalker. The guy is the most stubborn son of a bitch on earth. I have tried to talk to him in kind, have explained myself countless time. Invited him to fishing trips, yet, he still tells me to stay away from his daughter every damned time. Now, I had enough. I already tried for an entire month and he isn't caving in, so now, I'm going to do this my way.

"Yes, I am. Can we talk for a moment?"

"Go ahead, boy." He says and I roll my eyes, I hate when he calls me boy and I suspect he damn well knows it.

"Fine, as you know I'm trying to win your daughter back. Now, she wants your approval and I have tried my best to show you that I'm worthy of your daughter, but I guess we can both agree that you are not agreeing with that."

"You have hurt my daughter once before, you are not getting the chance to do it again." He says arms crossed in front of his chest and that's it, I finally have had it with him.

"I won't... because I never meant to hurt your daughter in the first place. I was in love with her then and I am still in love with her now. I will win her back and you better get used to the idea that not too long from now I will be your son in law and hopefully one day the father of your grandchildren. Now, you can hate me all you like, but whenever Ana is around you will not let her know that you disagree with her choices because that's what a loving father does. There will never be anyone who is good enough for her, but I will try every day for the rest of my life to be what she deserves. So, can we agree that we dislike each other but for Ana we can also agree to be polite around each other." I tell him and he is actually smirking at me.

Fuck me, this guy is even more arrogant than I am.

"I never said I didn't like you, boy. In fact, I believe you when you say you love my daughter. I just hate ass kisser and for the last month, you have done just that. Today, you showed me that you have balls, which I can appreciate. So, go ahead and try your luck, but I don't believe my daughter is going to take you back, she just presented you with tasks she believed you could never achieve." He says and that makes me smirk.

"I know, but she also agreed to give me a chance if I manage to fulfill her demands and I fully intend to hold her to her word. Have a good day."

"Leaving so soon?" Ana's Dad chuckles.

"I have a lot planned for tomorrow." I say in parting and drive to my parent's home to meet with them. I know I have just made a huge step in getting Ana back, but the biggest step of them all is going to happen tomorrow.

Mission getting Ana back has just taken off and there is no going back now.

**Ana**

I cannot wait for the weekend. I have been working almost 90 hours this week and I am exhausted but have managed to secure a huge new client for the company. It's almost ten in the evening when I finally get home on Friday and I'm bone-tired, so I'm really annoyed when just after I have changed into something more comfortable and want to order takeout for dinner someone is knocking at my door.

Even my friends have to check in with the front desk who would alert me of a visitor, so I know it has to be a neighbor. I just hope no one is going to have a party and is here to warn me of the noise. When I open the door, I blink, because my tired eyes are clearly playing tricks on me.

"I brought dinner, you really should at least take some time to have dinner if you work this late. Where's the kitchen?" Christian asks.

"What are you doing here?"

"I called your office and was told that you are working late, so I made dinner and kept it warm. You should feel honored, I rarely cook for anyone. Do you like chicken curry? I have a good white wine to go with it." He says.

"I ... um... the kitchen is over there?!" I mutter still confused as hell as to why he is here.

He just starts to walk towards the kitchen and I follow him like a puppy.

"Where do you have plates?" He asks and I point to one of the cupboards.

"Perfect, do you have a corkscrew?"

"How did you get into the building without me being alerted that a visitor is coming up?"

"I'm not a visitor... I'm your new neighbor." He smirks.

"What... no no no... the apartment next door is occupied by a couple and..."

"And I offered them 3.5 million to move out and then bought the apartment. After all, as a new citizen of New York I needed a place to stay."

"What?!" I squeak and he laughs.

"You told me to move to New York, so I did. My COO Ros Bailey is taking care of the Seattle offices and I will run GEH from the New York offices."

"Christian, you can't just move the headquarters of your company..." I gasp.

"Funny, I already did... now, where do you keep a corkscrew, wine glasses, and cutlery?" He asks and I just give up, get everything and sit down at the kitchen table when he starts to pile steaming chicken curry and rice onto the plates.

"I guess I should also let you know that I have spent some time with your dad and he is giving us his blessing to date." He says proudly and I have no idea what is even going on.

"I'm so confused." I mutter and he laughs.

"Here, eat up. After a good meal, you'll feel a lot better." He says and because I'm starving I take the fork and take a bite.

"You did not cook that yourself." I blurt out.

"Miss Steele, you wound me. I have in fact cooked this meal myself." He says.

"Well, I remember that you nearly burned the entire dorm down by trying to make ramen noodles." I point out and he laughs.

"Shit, I forgot about that. When I first moved out from home I just got sick of takeout and didn't have the money to hire a chef or housekeeper right away, so I got myself a cookbook, made some fucking horrible meals and almost gave up, but then my grandma took pity on me and she came over three times a week to teach me how to cook."

"It's good." I admit.

"Good, so... I hope you haven't made plans for tomorrow, we are going to visit someone in Jersey."

"Who?"

"Leila."

"Fuck no." I hiss.

"Ana, you want me to convince you I didn't lie. I already told you the truth, Alden and Parker are according to the information I could gather both out of the country, so Leila is the only other person who knows the truth."

"You could have paid her to say what you want her to say."

"I did not pay her, but I'm happy to provide you with the information to all my accounts so you can see for yourself that I haven't made any payments to her."

"I don't want to see her."

"Then how am I supposed to make you believe that I'm telling you the truth?"

"You can't." I insist. I know I'm a bitch right now, but I can't help it, this is just my issue, he seems to be genuine and that scares me into defense mode.

"I will, believe me, Ana. I will make you believe me. I told you, I'm not letting you run this time. I did what you asked me to do, now I expect you to give me a chance."

"You didn't..."

"No, I did tell you the truth and I did make arrangements for you to hear the truth from someone else again, but you chose not to go through with it. I held my end of the deal, what about you?"

"This is not fair I never thought... I mean..." I stop when he gives me an arrogant smirk.

"Baby, if you want me to jump through hoops for you I will, but don't think I won't hold you to what you have promised."

"Don't you see that this is insane... we are never going to work..." I yell at him and storm out on the balcony.

"Why are you so upset, Ana?" He asks and with that, no matter how hard I try not to, the tears start to spill over and run down my face.

"Do you know what all I wanted when I went to Harvard was?"

"No, what was it?"

"I wanted to be left alone. I didn't go to college to make friends, find love or even go to parties. All I wanted was to go to classes, go back to my dorm and get a good degree, so I wouldn't have to return to Montesano after college. And then you came along and I knew... I knew from the moment that you first talked to me that something wasn't right, that you were up to something. I just didn't want it to be true, because you have been the first person outside of my family to actually be nice to me... I just... I can't..." I sob and he pulls me into his arms.

"I'm so, so sorry, Ana. But please, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me one chance and I prove to you that I mean it when I say that I still love you. We can take this slow. Be friends, get to know each other again, just please don't shut me out."

"Friends?" I ask surprised.

"Yes, whatever you need to feel safe with me. You can even have all your girl friends interrogate me. I told you before we can take this at your pace and I still stand behind that. So, can you give me a chance at being your friend and we see where to go from there?" He asks and I look at him, so close while he is still holding me. There is nothing but hope and silent pleas in his eyes and I just can't say no to him.

"Are you still into some action."

"What do you have in mind."

"It's a secret. Be ready at eight tomorrow morning."

"Does this mean you'll give us a try." He asks.

"Don't expect too much... I'm great in my career but otherwise, I'm a fucked-up mess... so you might end up being the one to not wanting to have a second chance."

"Don't talk about yourself like that, Ana... you are not a mess. Now, you haven't finished dinner, can I look through your pantry for something to make us dessert?"

"I have ice cream in the freezer."

"Perfect." He says and so we finish dinner and have some ice cream for dessert before he leaves.

I want to believe he is honest, but at the same time, I'm terrified that he is going to break my heart again because there just isn't left enough to break any further...


	6. Chapter 6

**Ana**

I have thought about canceling my 'friend's date' with Christian ever since I got up this morning and also made a mental note to see my therapist first thing on Monday. This is not what I want... or maybe it is? Gah! I'm going insane.

At this point, not even my mind can make up its mind. Because it is the middle of August and it's wicked hot in New York, I'm dressed in just a bikini, jeans shorts, and tank top, with some flip-flops. My hair is pilled in a messy bun on top of my head and it is way too early for me to even think about applying makeup on my weekend off. Instead, I make two servings of my favorite breakfast smoothie, fill them in two to-go cups and leave my apartment to get Christian, who judging by how fast he has opened the door was already waiting in the hallway for me to pick him up.

"Here, breakfast."

"Breakfast?" He asked staring at the cup I just handed him.

"It's a smoothie made of blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, and a bit yogurt and honey." I explain and he takes the cup.

"Thank you, so where are we going?" He says smiling at me.

"Just shut up and come." I snap, close my eyes and take a deep breath. "I'm sorry. Maybe we should just forget about this... it's never going to work anyway."

"Come in, lets sit down and chat." He says, and so I follow him into his apartment where we sit down in the living room.

"What was it that upset you?" He asks.

"I told you I'm a mess... basically any guy who seems nice is upsetting to me."

"I can be an ass if it helps." He says and I snort.

"Can I ask you how your dating life has been ever since you left Harvard?" He asks and I fight the urge to get defensive again.

"Not good. I've been self-manipulating."

"How?"

"The men I have dated all came with several red flags... I basically only dated men I knew were wrong for me... or any decent woman for that matter... and then I just waited for them to fuck up..."

"And there was never a decent guy who wanted to date you?"

"Of course, but I shut them down right away. It's easier to date if you already know it's going nowhere. At least with the guys I dated I knew it wasn't going to end well, less chance of disappointment." I shrug.

"Do you have any male friends?" He asks and I take a moment to answer because I still feel the urge to snap at him.

"No, I had one male friend, it didn't go well." I mutter.

"What happened?"

"Ethan is the older brother of my friend Kate. We used to be friends until one night he took the spare key to my apartment that I had left at Kate's while I was at work. He put flowers everywhere, cooked a candlelight dinner for us and waited for me to arrive... I had him arrested."

"Did he try to force himself on you? I mean if you called the cops on him there must have been something that happened." Christian says and I laugh bitterly.

"No, nothing else happened, he was just a decent guy and good friend of mine who was trying to do something nice to surprise me and it triggered me so bad I called the cops on him and had him arrested. I tried to apologize later when I realize what I had done, but he wasn't having it. I can't even blame him I wouldn't want to deal with that kind of crazy either." I explain and I'm sure Christian is now ready to just give up, but he surprises me.

"Ok, so no surprises in your apartment. What else triggers you?"

"Why do you even want to know? Don't you see that this is already way too complicated?" I ask exasperated that he is not giving up.

"Look Ana, I should have insisted back then to talk to you. I should have never allowed you to leave that night because it allowed you to believe the worst and built walls around you to protect yourself from ever getting hurt like that again..."

"So it's pity?" I snap.

"Baby, I'm not a saint, if I this was solely about pity or remorse I would have sent you flowers and moved on. I may have matured a lot since we knew each other, but unless it concerns people I love I'm still an arrogant son of a bitch at best. I am here because I truly believe that you and I are meant to be together. Do you want to know how my life has been since then?" He asks and I slowly nod.

"To the outside world, I have everything anyone can ever ask for. A loving family, a few good friends, more money than I'll ever need, cars, boats, a jet... you name it and I probably own it. But the simple truth is that I come home every night to an empty apartment. There is no one waiting for me, no one I can share what I have worked so hard for with. I have tried dating, but it never felt right. So, now whenever I feel too lonely at night I go out, fuck a random gold digger and come back home feeling fucking disgusted with myself. For the last seven years, I have felt a void in my life I just wasn't able to fill and the moment you stepped out of the elevator at GEH I knew you are what is missing in my life. So, like it or not, I'm not going away, you may not see it now but I know that we can get through this together." He says and I have to fight the urge to yell at him that it's just not going to happen.

Instead, I look around his apartment that seems rather cold and unwelcoming.

"You need some plants... it's way too clinical here." I mutter and he laughs.

"I guess my decorating skills are almost none existent. Care to help me out?" He says and I'm glad he is not pressing the previous subject.

"Ok, change of plans... I know a nice little breakfast place not far from here and there are some stores nearby we could go to."

"Thank God, I was afraid you really meant it when you said this is our breakfast." He says and holds up the smoothie.

"It was, but if we want to go shopping a nice breakfast sounds better." Part of me still wants to just shut him out but there is also another tiny part of me that has hope. Hope that he might be honest... that even for a mess like me there is a happily ever after.

"This place is nice." He says when we sit down on the patio of the small deli and look at the menu.

"Who is the guy watching us?" I ask. The moment we have left the front door of the Ansonia I have noticed a guy following us from a distance, so I'm curious who he is.

"That's Sawyer, he is part of my personal security team. Jason and Gail will make the move in two weeks, until then he and Reynolds take turns." He explains.

"You need security?"

"Yes, unfortunately, with wealth come a lot of rather unpleasant people and threats. While no one has approached me so far and I strongly believe that I would be able to defend myself, it gives my family peace of mind to know that I have security."

"But isn't it weird to have someone follow you all the time?"

"I've gotten used to it. It's not as bad as it sounds, most of the time I forget they are even around." He says.

"Are you still friends with Alden?" I blurt out.

"No, I have not talked to them since I have left Harvard."

"Why?"

"Because they went way too far. I may have been an asshole back then, but I never agreed to have me having sex with anyone streamed on campus."

"So that wasn't part of the bet?"

"No, absolutely not, I wouldn't have agreed to it because that would have been too fucked up even for me. They turned the webcams on because I told them the bet was over." He says and again I want to believe him, but I just can't and it's so frustrating I don't even know what to do.

In the end we go to a few stores nearby to get something decorative items for his place and I invite him for lunch at my place but then excuse myself right afterward saying I have work to do, even though there is nothing that couldn't wait. But I just need some time to myself to think.

On Sunday morning I'm restless. I have been thinking about Christian non-stop and it is driving me insane. I just don't know if I can trust him. And I know what I could do about it, but I'm still fighting it in my mind until I just give up and type Leila Williams New Jersey into a search engine.

Thirty minutes later I leave my apartment, get into my car and drive to Jersey where Leila is living. She apparently owns an art gallery and lives in the apartment above her gallery.

When I arrive I ring the doorbell and it takes about a minute until Leila opens the door. She looks almost the same as she did in college, but I can tell that she has had a little too much Botox because her face seems oddly emotionless.

"Hi, can I help you?" She says and I want to roll my eyes.

"Hi Leila, so you don't remember me at all?" I ask and she takes a closer look at me.

"No fucking way, Anastasia?" She asks surprised.

"Yes... so, I need to talk to you."

"Come in." She says a bit snotty and I follow her into the apartment, which just like her half of our dorm room back in the day is a total mess.

"So, what brings you here?"

"Closure. I just want to know why you guys did what you did back then."

"Oh come on, Anastasia, it was just a prank."

"A prank? No Leila, a prank is when you put salt in the sugar bowl or put saran wrap on the toilet, streaming someone having sex on a freaking gigantic screen during a campus festival is most definitively not a prank."

"Christ, you got to fuck Christian, that should have been enough to get over it. I mean he was hot as hell."

"You just don't get it, don't you?" I ask exasperated.

"Honestly, I don't. We were stupid kids, you should really get over it."

"At least tell me who planned all of this?"

"Alden and I did, ok? Parker wanted nothing to do with it, he thought it was too fucked up. But Alden was really pissed when Christian told him that the bet was over because he had fallen in love with you." She says and I take a deep breath.

"So Christian had no idea?"

"No, the fucking idiot actually fell for you... the next day he beat Alden up so bad I thought he would kill him. Still, he took all the blame for it just so you wouldn't get into trouble, because truth be told, we would have put the entire thing on you."

"Why did you hate me so much, what have I ever done to you?" I ask horrified.

"First, I never wanted a roommate and then you somehow managed to get the guy I wanted. I mean when we made that bet I was sure Christian wouldn't even go through with it, but you somehow managed to get him to fall for you. Watching you guys was disgusting, I mean you just couldn't stop touching each other, you were so lovey dovey I wanted to vomit. He could have had me and chose you... but at least I made sure you would think it was him and you stupid bitch believed me." She says and I get up.

"Thank you." I simply say.

"What?" She says startled.

"Well, after I had to leave Harvard I went to Princeton, made my degree, moved to New York and by now I make 7 digits a year, while you live in your own dirt like a pig and look like someone has hit you in the face with an iron. So, thank you for being the living proof that karma does exist." I say and leave her apartment.

When I arrive home I stop in the hallway of my apartment with my key in hand and look at the door to Christian's apartment. Suddenly, I feel horrible. I have hated him for years, blamed him for my disastrous dating life, and he had nothing to do with it... yes, he agreed to a bet, but then he fell in love with me... he truly did fall in love with me... and I never gave him a chance to explain it to me... and even when I did now I didn't believe him and made him jump through hoops without even truly wanting to give him a second chance.

I start to pace in the hallway and eventually I find myself knocking at his door instead of going to my apartment.

When he opens it's like a dam is broken loose and I start to cry while I wrap my arms around his waist and sob against his chest.

"Ana... hey what happened?" He asked worried but I can't even get a single word out. By the time I have finally calmed down enough to speak he has brought me into his living room and I'm in his arms on the couch.

"Tell me what happened?"

"I went to see Leila. I just needed to hear from someone else what happened back then. I'm so sorry... I never believed you... I just ..."

"Hush... it's alright, Ana. I know that I'm not innocent in all of this. I should have told you everything right when I realized that I'm falling for you, but I was a coward because I knew you would leave me if I did."

"Still, I never listened to you... I blamed you..."

"Ana... hey... listen to me, it's ok. You know the one thing I learned is to leave the past behind. Ok, if we want to have any chance at a happy future, we have to stop living in the past. I know we still have a lot to work through, but we'll get there."

"You really think that's possible?"

"Yes, I absolutely do. I know we both have changed a lot, but we can make this work. We start by getting to know each other again and go from there. And if you figure out that's not what you want I'll live with it, but at least we can say we gave it a try." He says though I can tell he doesn't mean the last part and is just saying it for my benefit.

"Still, I shouldn't have asked you to move to New York."

"Baby, I would have moved to the moon if you had asked me to. Plus I already had offices here, so it was way easier than you think it was."

"Are you mad at me for not believing you?" I ask because frankly, I would have been very hurt.

"You had seven years to think of me as the villain in all of this, so I don't blame you. Look, we were so young and impulsive when all of this happened... and we can't change the past. But I hope that one day you can look at me and know that you can trust me no matter what." He says and at this moment I know it's something that I want too. I just hope that we can find a way to get there...


	7. Chapter 7

**Christian**

It's been a week since Ana went to see Leila and I have to say, I do have a little more hope that we can work through things. We have been taking things slower than I would like to, but I know I can't push Ana. She has built so many walls around herself, that I know if I move too fast she will push me back. And of course, there is both our busy work schedule. Moving to New York and working from here has been a huge deal for GEH and now I have to put in a lot of extra hours to make it work. Ana, however, is just as bad when it comes to her work. Most days she is not leaving her office before 9 pm and so, we have only seen each other for two evenings over the last week. I would have loved to see more of her, but as I was busy too, we both just didn't have the time. Today she has some meetings even though it is Saturday, so I have decided to do some birthday shopping for Mia.

Her birthday is the weekend after next and I'm flying down to Seattle to celebrate with her. I want to bring Ana with me, so she can meet my family, but I'm not sure it's something she wants at this point. My parents weren't happy that I decided to move to a different coast to be with a girl they have yet to meet and that might not even want to be with me, so I hope once they meet Ana, they'll be able to see for themselves that she is the right girl for me. Mia is still pouting that I have moved, and Elliot believes I have lost my mind, but still, I know I have made the right decision.

After endless hours of shopping, which I hate, I'm sure I have gotten some things my little sister is going to be excited about for her birthday. So, I drive back home and get out of the car once it's parked in my spot at the garage.

"Christian?" I hear a female voice, turn around and feel my temper rising when I spot Leila Williams right behind me.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Don't be like that, it's no way to say hi to an old friend." She admonishes me and I snort.

"Old friend? Are you delusional? We have never been friends."

"Don't be like that. You know we've been friends, you've just been too good of a friend to Alden to act on your feelings for me." She says and this time I do laugh.

"Yeah, you are right about that one, Leila. I truly wouldn't have told Alden that his girlfriend is a whoring piece of trash." I say and she gasps.

"That is not true, I know that you wanted me back then."

"Leila, back then I was a horny as fuck teenage boy, literally everything would get me hard... except for you because even the stupid kid I was back in the day knew that fucking the dorm whore is gross." I say harshly and I can tell Leila is getting pissed.

"Oh really, you are truly telling me that you wouldn't have touched me when you fucked that ugly wallflower..."

"Stop, if you dare to talk about Ana like that I swear things will turn ugly quick here." I all but yell.

"Sir, is everything alright?" I hear Sawyer behind me.

"I'll deal with it, it's fine Luke." I mutter and turn my attention on Leila again. "And just so you know, I have never fucked Ana... I made love to her, but sadly someone like you won't ever know the difference."

"What the hell is so special about her? I mean all she ever did was reading and studying... she was boring as hell. We did you a favor back then!"

"You ruined my fucking life, you bitch. I had to leave college, my parents were so fucking disappointed in me they couldn't even look at me and even worse, I lost seven years with Ana. And even if I put all of that aside you fucking idiots invaded my privacy in ways that are beyond horrible. I could have sued you back then and I honestly should have."

"So, you are angry, I get that... but I'm sure we can go upstairs and find a way to make up for that." She says and runs her hand over my biceps.

"Do not fucking touch me!" I snap and step back but she is quicker and throws herself into my arms trying to kiss me.

I try to push her back but she is ripped away from me rather harshly and I'm sure to find Sawyer holding her but to my shock it's Ana and I just hope she does not come to the wrong conclusion.

"You?!" Leila screams when she sees Ana.

"Yes... so are you in the habit of harassing people in the garage of their building?" Ana snaps.

"Christian and I are dating, now go away." Leila snaps.

"Ana she..." Ana stops me holding up one hand and I know this could go either way. Trust is not Ana's strong suit at the moment, especially when it comes to me.

"You really think I'm stupid don't you?" Ana asks and I breathe a sigh of relief.

"You can't know who he is dating..."

"Maybe not, but he is my neighbor and everyone who doesn't sneak into the garage has to check in with the front desk. They would have told you to leave immediately because we don't just have a list of approved visitors here, but also a blacklist. I put you on that right after I moved in because I honestly never wanted to see you again. So, don't you think he would have asked me to take you off the blacklist?"

"You fucking bitch... is he fucking you again... oh I hate both of you... he was supposed to be mine... mine... MINE!" She screams and I nod at Sawyer to step in. Leila seems like a crazy woman and I have no idea what she is capable of.

"Ma'am I need you to leave now or I will call the cops." Luke says as Ana walks over to me and takes a tissue from her purse which she dabs against my lip making me wince... fuck, the crazy bitch bit me.

"Come, I'll drive you to the ER." She says.

"It's not that bad." I murmur.

"You need to have this look at by a doctor. Getting bit by another human can lead to serious infections when was your last tetanus shot?" She insists and I shrug.

"Not sure, in high school I think, my mom always insisted on stuff like that and I guess I kind of let things slide."

"Then you need the shot too." She says in a no-nonsense voice and ushers me to her car while Sawyer is still dealing with a furious Leila.

"You know she was lying, right?" I ask when she pulls into traffic.

"I know, she is a liar, a gold digger and whore... I'm sorry that me going to see her brought her to your doorstep." She says and I'm just happy she is not mad at me.

"Doesn't matter to me. It only would if this would change things between us."

"It won't I made the mistake of trusting her when she told me you were in on the entire mess at Harvard and I'm sure as hell never going to trust anything she says again. You should contact the building manager though, usually, there is security making sure no one can get in through the garage."

"I let my security talk to them... so we are ok?" I ask again, I just need to be sure this doesn't take us several steps back.

"We are... in fact, while I was working I realized that you have cooked for me twice so far and I haven't cooked for you. I wanted to change that tonight... though looking at your lip I might need to change the menu for tonight."

"I would chew on a brick if it meant I get to spend time with you." I say and she laughs.

"I'm sure I can make something a little more enticing then serving bricks for dinner. How about Tom-Ka-Gai Soup?"

"Sounds good to me."

**Ana**

I have to admit that getting out of my car and seeing Leila and Christian talk made me want to run and never look back. But then I reminded myself that I am no longer a teenager. I'm a grown-up and I cannot run from every situation that threatens the last remaining pieces of my broken heart. So, instead of running I stepped closer and what I heard from Leila really pissed me off.

That bitched actually thought she has a chance with Christian. The worst part is, she must have been living under a rock to not have known before where he was. So, I guess having a billionaire live that close by made her gold digger senses go into overload and she just had to approach him. Truth be told, part of me wanted to beat her to a bloody mess right there in the garage, but I knew I couldn't do it. I have a career now, one I hope to sustain for a long time and being arrested for assault would not be helping me in any way.

I wish I would have had the ability to stop my instinct to run seven years ago because then my life would have turned out very differently. Though in all honesty, apart from my horrible love life, I actually love my life. Plus, who knows if Christian and I would still be a couple by now. Maybe the stress of each of us trying to build a career would have made us drift apart and now faith has decided that it is the right time for us to meet again.

"I still can't believe that bitch bit me." Christian grumbles as I hand him an icepack from my freezer.

"And I still can't believe that the great Christian Grey needed me to hold his hand while he got a shot." I tease with a giggle and he looks a little embarrassed.

"I just hate needles... and that one was huge." He grumbles.

"You certainly made the day of the nurse when you had to pull your pants down." I laugh... the poor woman was already dumbfounded just looking at Christian but getting a good look at his fine backside made her so flustered she had a hard time to actually give him the shot.

"Not funny, I was worried she would shove the whole damn thing up my butthole." He says and cannot help but laugh.

"Well, I guess that is what you get for being insanely handsome." I tease him but honestly, it's true, I have yet to meet another man that comes close to Christian when it comes to looks. I guess that is why I used to have such a hard time to believe that he really likes me. At least that is gone now because even though it feels weird to admit, I know I'm beautiful and Christian and I would make a really good looking couple.

"Why thank you, Miss Steele, you are not so bad looking yourself." He says.

"I know." I reply and start to unpack the groceries I just had delivered to cook for us.

When I look up Christian is smiling at me. "What?"

"I never heard you say that you like the way you look." He says and I sigh.

"When you grow up in a town where all the kids pick at you, call you names and push you around, it is hard to see anything in you that is likable. I guess with time I just didn't care about the way I looked because I didn't even want to look at myself... my biggest wish always was to just wake up one day and be invisible."

"Why were the kids picking at you?" He asks and I know this is not a story I want to dive into, but I want to be more open with Christian, so I guess telling him about my family is the right thing to do.

So, I walk to the fridge and pour myself a glass of wine. "Do you want wine too?" I ask and he nods, so I hand him my glass and get a second for myself.

"Ray and Carla Steele are the best parents anyone could ever ask for... except for one person." I start trying to think about a way to explain this to him.

"Whom?"

"Their daughter... my biological mother." I say quietly.

"Wait... so your parents, they are your grandparents?"

"Biologically yes, but they have adopted me, so they are my parents."

"And you mother?"

"Her name is Cara, my parents had her in their teen years. They got married and both worked hard to give her good life. It just wasn't good enough for her. She ran away when she was sixteen. Three years later she returned with me in tow. I was about a year old, my parents fell in love with me immediately, but my Dad also noticed that something wasn't right with me. He said he would go and change me, in reality, he wanted to check on me. Once he had taken my clothes off he found that I was covered in bruises. He went back and told Cara that she was free to leave but I was staying with them. Apparently, she had just come back to drop me off anyway."

"She abused you?" Christian asks horrified.

"We don't know if it was her, her boyfriend... someone else. My parents took me to the hospital and found out that I was malnourished, dehydrated, had obviously been beaten several times and was also late in my development. The took thousands of dollars that were meant for their retirement to have me treated and give me everything I needed. It took almost two years for me to catch up with children my age when it came to my mental and physical development."

"And your mother, was she punished?"

"No, she had gone off the radar again once I was staying with her parents."

"Do you know where she is?"

"I know that she lives with her family in Seattle, but that is all."

"Did you always know?"

"No. I was ten or eleven when some kids in my school thought it was funny to tell me that my parents aren't my real parents. I ran home crying and they told me about Cara. They found her so I could meet her, but she had married a rich guy and had three kids with him. She told my parents she had told him her family is dead and not to contact her again."

"Fuck... that is... fuck." He mutters.

"I know... it wasn't until later that I found out why most kids were so mean to me. Apparently, my mother had slept her way all the way through Montesano and the kids just picked up on what they heard about my family at home."

"And your parents? Couldn't they do anything about it?"

"They tried and eventually I just stopped telling them what was happening to me at school. I guess the thought I was a loner in school. Anyway, I guess my childhood is the reason why I never even tried to look good when I got older, not until I met Kate anyway and she told me I was no longer allowed to let myself go."

"Kate?"

"Here." I say pull up a picture of Kate and me with her son and hand him my phone.

"She is my best friend, we met at Princeton and well, let's just say I didn't have any friends because I wanted to be left alone and she didn't have any because people don't like her that much. You know she is honest to a fault. She won't bullshit you to make you feel better, she will kick your butt to get out of your funk instead. The first time we met she told me I look like shit and need a better conditioner to get the mess on my head under control. I thought she was a bully and ignored her, but the next day she showed up at my dorm room with everything needed for an at-home spa day and after a few days of us hanging out on campus she told me that she hated how no one liked her but she just knew we could be friends if I was giving it a try. I was skeptical at first, but she has yet to disappoint me even once and by now she is like a sister for me."

"Is the baby hers?"

"Yes, she got married a while ago and had James six months ago. He is adorable."

"I'm glad you've found a friend. Can I ask about your biological father?" He says cautiously and I take a long sip of my wine.

"That bad?"

"You could say that when Kate got pregnant she couldn't stop talking about everything and one time she told me about some test she had to get done because of a condition that is known in Carter's family. It had me thinking that I wouldn't even know if there were things to look out for with my future children since I don't know my biological father. So, I hired a lawyer to contact Cara and ask her about him. She wasn't very forthcoming but in the end, gave us his name. I had it confirmed through a DNA test that he really is my father. My lawyer offered to ask him for the medical history of his family. I was curious though, so I went to California where he owns a bar. I didn't contact him first and things took a nosedive rather quick. He actually hit on me before I was even able to tell him who I am. To make things worse, after he knew he still wanted to fuck me and told me that it wasn't that weird since he didn't raise me. Needless to say that I left without another word and had my lawyer deal with him."

"Fuck... where does that bastard live."

"Not going to tell you, Mr. Hothead." I smirk.

"Ana... that fucker has it coming."

"Maybe, but you are not going to pay him a visit. I just want to forget I've ever met him. He is a gross pig and I don't need someone like that in my life. Besides, I have the best parents in the world, so I consider myself lucky that they decided to raise me."

"You sure are. Even though I guess your Dad is never going to be my best friend." He says and I laugh.

"If he has any fault than it is that he loves me too much. It broke his heart when Cara ran away and he couldn't find her... more so when she returned and made it clear she didn't want them as parents anymore... I'm his second chance, so he always spoilt me." I explain and he looks deep in thoughts.

"It's a lot right?" I mutter when he says nothing.

"No, it's not that... I guess I just thought your Dad doesn't like me because of what happened at Harvard. Now, I finally understand why he is so overprotective of you. I guess, I should make more of an effort to put him at ease next time I see him."

"So you want to hang out with my Dad?" I ask and laugh when he looks uncomfortable as hell.

"Look, I know my Dad can be tough... and no one expects you to become his best friend. I'm happy as long as you get along when you see each other."

"Can I ask why you didn't move them to New York?"

"I would have loved to do so, but my parents always lived in Washington State, the few times they visited me here they didn't really like it here, so why ask them to move here knowing it wouldn't be something they would enjoy and only do for me, plus I usually fly down to Seattle when I have the weekend off. And we wouldn't have seen each other a lot more even if they lived close by."

"Makes sense... do you have to work the weekend after next?"

"I'm not sure, let me check." I get my phone out and look at my calendar. "No, I'm free."

"My sister Mia will turn 21 on that Saturday, there is a big party at my parent's place, would you like to come to Seattle with me? We could visit your parents on Sunday... I have a jet, so we can fly down on Friday after work and fly back Sunday evening." He says and looks so hopeful that I just can't say no.

"Ok, but you have to give me some hints as to what kind of present to get for your sister."

"You don't have to..."

"Showing up at the birthday party of someone you don't know is one thing, not bringing a present either is just rude... so what does she like?"

"If it's sparkly and pink she usually enjoys it... and make up... christ, my sister probably owns more of that shit than most beauty salons."

"I'm sure I can come up with something she'll like then." I reply and just hope that meeting his family won't turn into a disaster because so far, I never have met the parents of anyone I have dated and while we are not officially dating, I'm really looking forward to meeting Christian's parents...


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi Ladies, I'm glad you all are enjoying this story :) I'm sorry that I didn't update last week, but the holiday season is keeping me really busy. The next update will be on the first weekend of the new year. Enjoy the holidays!**

**Disclaimer: All characters belong to E. L. James**

_**Christian**_

I can tell that Ana is getting more and more nervous the closer we get to my parent's place. It's already 11 pm, but I'm sure my parents and Mia will still be up to welcome us. I'm just glad we have made it out of New York for a while. Leila has turned into my personal nightmare. The bitch is crazy and has made it her mission to stalk me.

Taylor was not having it and after she made a scene in the lobby of Grey House NYC, he called the cops on her and made me file for a restraining order, which hopefully will be in place some time next week. Ana is about to kill her, especially after Leila got into a restaurant where Ana was having a lunch meeting with some clients, started to cuss at her and then threw a glass of wine at her. Of course, the police were called but Leila was gone by then and has since gone off the radar.

Taylor has people looking for her and the police are looking for her as well, but still, I'm just glad that for the next two days I don't have to waste my time thinking about her lurking in the shadows somewhere ready to attack Ana. Especially, since Ana put her foot down when I asked if I could put security on her. She says it would make her uncomfortable to have someone watch her, I wanted to tell her that once we are officially dating and the news about that is out she has to have security anyway, but decided to bring that up at a later time since Ana seemed to really dislike the thought of having security watching her.

When Taylor pulls up at my parent's place I get out first and open the door for Ana.

"You never mentioned you grew up in a mansion." Ana says looking at my childhood home.

"It's just a big house... come." I say with a shrug and lead her up the stairs to the front door. Not much to my surprise, it's my little sister who opens the door and nearly tackles me.

"Christian! I missed you so much... oh you must be, Ana... I'm Mia, you are gorgeous." She gets out in a rush and hugs Ana.

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you, Mia."

"Come on, let's get inside, Mom and Dad are in the living room." She says, and we follow her into the living room, where I'm glad my parents don't show any signs to Ana that they weren't happy about my move to New York.

"Do you want anything to eat or drink?" My mother asks.

"Actually, I'm pretty tired mom." I reply and Ana nods in agreement.

"Well, then off to bed you two go, you two are staying in Christian's old bedroom." My mom says and I want to argue but to my surprise Ana thanks her, and so I lead her out of the room and to the stairs.

Fuck, I have tried so hard not make any move on Ana, because I'm still scared shitless that me going too fast is going to push her away. But how the fuck am I supposed to sleep in the same bed with her and not touch her?!

As we step into my childhood room Ana's looks around and I actually blush when she looks at the posters on the wall and turns to look at me with a raised brow.

"I can take them down." I mutter and she starts to laugh.

"Are you blushing... because I'm not surprised you had posters of half-naked girls, I'm only surprised your mom allowed you to put them on the wall."

"Yeah well, my dad convinced her it's a boys thing... she hates them though." I admit.

"So... do I need to oil up and stretch out on a Harley in a neon, barely there, bikini for you?" She smirks as she gets some things from her overnight bag.

"Well, if you want to..." I grin.

"Maybe one day, where is the bathroom?" She asks and I show her the bathroom and then wait for her to return. When she does she heads straight for the bed and frowns at me.

"Do you plan on standing up and sleeping fully dressed?" She asks.

"I... fuck Ana, I'm not a saint. You know I want to be with you and I'm ok with taking things slow and being friends but I cannot sleep in a bed with you and keep my hands to myself when I'm having blue balls the size of Texas." I mutter frustrated.

"Why didn't you say so." She says, gets up and slowly walks over to me. When she's in front of me she reaches up and starts to unbutton my shirt.

"Ana, what are you doing?" I ask, but she continues to until she takes my shirt off and then unbuckles my belt. Part of me isn't sure if I shouldn't stop her, maybe she isn't ready for this... but then again, she wouldn't do this if she wasn't... and so I watch as she pulls my pants down and then drops to her knees grabs the waistband of my boxer briefs and pulls them down.

My dick gets hard instantly when I watch Ana as she licks her lips before her small warm hand reaches out and wraps around my dick.

"Fuck... Ana... you really don't have to..." I force myself to say, but I'm sure if she stops now I might start to cry or beg or... and then my mind goes blank and I just focus on Ana stroking my dick before she flicks her tongue first against the head of my erection and then finally wraps her warm lips around the tip of my dick.

Needless to say, for the next few minutes, I can think of nothing else but what Ana is doing to me until I throw my head back and mutter her name as I cum in her mouth.

"Can we share a bed now, Mr. Grey?" Ana asks grinning as she gets up and back into the bed.

"I ... wow... I think so." I get out and she laughs sleepily.

"I usually sleep naked." I explain when I take my pants and shoes off completely.

"I like you naked." Ana says with her face in the pillow and I smirk.

By the time I have turned the lights off and gotten into bed Ana is already asleep and but I'm not that tired anymore. So, I just lay awake and watch Ana sleep. Damn, she is so beautiful, it hurts to think of all the time we have lost. Slowly, I feel myself getting tired too, but I don't want to sleep just now. Ana used to talk in her sleep and it was always entertaining to listen to her, so I'm wondering if she still does that.

An hour later I can no longer keep my eyes open but just as I drift off I think I hear Ana murmur that she loves me and it's the most comforting thing I have anyone ever heard say in my life.

The next day I wake up and turn around to look at Ana, but she is no longer in the bed or the room. So, I get up and take a quick shower before I get dressed and hurry downstairs.

"Good morning, son." I hear my Dad when I get into the hallway and find him walking out of his study.

"Morning Dad, have you seen Ana?"

"I think Mia took her up to her room after breakfast."

"After breakfast, what time is it?"

"Almost noon, by the way, Ana is a lovely young woman, I can see why you were willing to move to a different coast for her."

"Thanks, Dad, I'll go check on her." I mutter and hurry back upstairs where I find Ana in Mia's room. They are on Mia's bed and Mia is gushing over makeup she is pulling out of a gift bag.

"Look at all of that Christian! It's from my favorite brand, the new collection isn't even out yet, but Ana got everything for me because she is working with them. This is the coolest birthday gift ever."

"Good for you, come here birthday girl." I say and hug her.

"You'll get my gifts later... well, unless you annoy me enough to get the earlier... what did you use to bribe Ana with to give you your gifts early?"

"I told her I would tell her every embarrassing story I know about you." She grins and I laugh.

"Well, in that case, I guess I should leave you to it."

"Actually, I have to leave now, I have an appointment at the spa with some of my friends, so Ana is all yours." She says grabs her bag and hugs first Ana and then me before she leaves.

"Care to join me for a later breakfast, Miss Steele?"

"Sure, sleeping beauty." She says and gets up to walk over to me.

"Wait... about last night... you know I didn't expect you to do anything like that."

"Christian, I haven't done anything I didn't want to do in a long time. Besides, I have waited for about three weeks now for you to make the first move. You didn't, so I made the first move. I know we wanted to take things slow... but I already know that I don't want to shut you out. I haven't felt the need to snap at you for being nice to me ever since I went to see Leila... so... unless you want to take things slo..."

I don't even let her finish the last sentence but instead pull her into my arms and kiss her until we both have to stop completely out of breath.

"You have no idea how much I have missed kissing you." I murmur into her neck, while I start to nuzzle her there.

"I have missed you kissing me, too." She says but then to my surprise steps back.

"Come back." I pout.

"I can't I need to buy a dress for the party tonight." She says and I frown.

"Why?"

"You forgot to mention that Mia's party is themed..." She says walks over to Mia's desk and hands me one of the invitations.

"Well fuck... I am not going to wear anything pink." I mutter and she laughs.

"You will because you love your baby sister... though we might need to find a very light pink for you or else it will go horribly with your hair." Ana says with a frown.

"Can I at least take you to my favorite breakfast place first?" I ask and she nods.

By the time Mia's party finally starts I have counted at least 10 different spots since this morning that would have been perfect for Ana and me to have a quickie. To be honest, though, I don't want a quickie, I want to savor making love to Ana. Like we did that night in college when I took her virginity... just without hidden cameras and everything turning to shit right afterward.

"Wow... that's a whole lot of pink." Ana says as we enter the tent in the backyard.

"For Mia, that is rather tame, I swear Elliot and I still suffer from PTSD from all the pink at her sweet sixteen." I joke and she giggles.

"I never got why girls love pink so much... it's just not that great of a color."

"I agree, so you never had an all-pink themed birthday party?" I ask and instantly regret it when her face falls.

"I never had a real birthday party as a child, because I never had friends to invite to my birthday." She says quietly.

"I'm sorry, baby... how about we have a huge party for your next birthday?" I ask to cheer her up.

"Honestly, I prefer a small party with my close friends and family, last year I took my parents, Kate and two other friends to Hawaii, that was fun." She says and it reminds me that her birthday isn't that far away.

"Can I plan your birthday party this year?"

"Ok, but please nothing like this." I promise as we walk over to one of the tables that hold several bowls with punch. I get some for Ana and myself but Ana surprises me by spitting it right back into the cup.

"Are you alright, baby?"

"Jesus, you have to try it." She says and shudders, so I do and have the same reaction.

"Hell, what the fuck is in there."

"By the taste of it, I'd say it's vodka and some sort of fruit-flavored liquor. Who mixed this?" Ana asks and I know that this is not the punch my Dad has been mixing all day, so I look around spot Mia and walk over to her.

"Christian!" She squeals and hugs me.

"Mia, what the fuck happened to the punch?" I ask and she grins.

"Hey, it's my 21st birthday, I wanted something with a little more bam to it." She says and I roll my eyes.

"Mia, that shit is undrinkable... you'll poison your guest with it, what is in there?"

"It's 4 bottles of vodka and 4 bottles of Pink Pirate Rum." She says and I sigh.

"You can't just mix alcohol together in a punch... you have to mix it with something to make it lighter. Is all the punch like that?"I ask and she nods.

"Just keep your guests occupied, I'll fix this mess." I mutter and wave at Elliot and Elise as well as my parents and return to Ana. Once I have explained what Mia has done we all grab the bowls carry them into the kitchen and start to make something drinkable.

"Did you get drunk on your 21st birthday Ana?" I overhear Elise ask her and listen in.

"I can barely remember all of it, my best friend took me to Vegas, I'm pretty sure at one point we did body shots with a crew of male strippers we met at their show." She says and the women start to giggle.

"She's a keeper bro, I get now why you couldn't get over her." Elliot says while I keep watching Ana.

"I still can't believe she is willing to give me a second chance..."

"She loves you, it's clear to see. She even won our parents over in an instant, and they weren't happy at all that you are moving to New York for her." He points out.

"I know, but Ana has her career and friends there, I couldn't possibly ask her to move here, maybe someday we'll move back to Seattle, but for now New York is the best option for our life together."

Close to midnight, I'm happy when Ana pulls me off the dance floor and out of the tent.

"Let's go to bed, I'm tired." She says with a yawn.

"Tired?!" I exclaim horrified and she laughs.

"Not that tired." She says with a wink, and we quickly head upstairs to my old room where I lock the door and then turn around to face Ana. Slowly, I move closer to her and pull her into my arms, so she has to gaze up to look at me.

"Do you know how beautiful you are?" I ask her and she gives me a shy smile. "I'll make you happy, I promise." I say and move in to kiss her. As we kiss I run my hands down her back and cup her ass with my hands before running my hands back up until I reach the zipper of her dress and slowly undo it.

Ending our kiss I step back and take off her dress, leaving her only in her heels and panties. Ana had been beautiful before, but now she is even more beautiful and has filled out nicely. Her breasts are a little more than a handful now but still perky and her hips and ass are perfectly shaped, round and full. Just looking at her has my dick stirring in my pants. Kneeling I ask her to step out of her shoes and then slowly take her panties off, leaving her naked in front of me.

"This is new." I smirk and run my fingers along her soft skin that back in the day was hidden by pubic hair. I didn't mind it at all, but seeing her without it is even sexier. I pull her a bit closer and kiss up her belly to her breasts as I get up and then up to her collarbone, her neck and back to her lips, while her hands reach between us and she unbuckles my belt.

Once I am naked too, I guide her to the bed and spread her legs, kissing a trail from her knee up her thigh I tease her by stopping right before I reach her pussy and kiss down her other thigh to her knee and back up to her pussy. When I run my nose against it, she moans and I unleash my tongue her, tasting and teasing her until she arches her back and moves her hips. While I continue her fingers are twisting in my hair and I know she is close.

"Christian, please... I want you inside me." She begs and my already hard dick gets even harder by her words. So, I quickly grab a condom from the drawer of my nightstand and roll it on, before I position myself between Ana's legs and look into her beautiful eyes that are dark with desire.

"Ready?" I ask and she nods. I watch her beautiful face as I sink balls deep into her wet pussy and press my forehead against her, fighting not to cum instantly because she is just perfectly tight and wet.

When I start to move she runs her nails down my back and digs them in as I hit her g-spot over and over until she reaches her climax and that tips me over the edge as well.

Rolling off her, I quickly remove the condom and throw it away before I pull her into my arms and pull the duvet over us.

"Are you alright?" I ask because she hasn't said anything.

"Mmmmh." Is her half-asleep reply and I smile at her.

"Sleep, baby." I murmur and kiss her.

"Night Christian... I love you." She murmurs as she drifts into sleep and I just look her. She truly is mine again, and this time I won't fuck things up again. This woman is my forever and I'll make sure that from now on nothing is ever again dragging us apart.

"I love you too, baby." I whisper and kiss her forehead before I too fall asleep.


	9. Chapter 9

**Ana**

"You can stay with your family if you want to." I offer when I notice that Christian isn't too eager to leave his parents' place to spend the afternoon with my parents.

"No, I want them to like me. After all, I expect us to be family one day." He says and I smile.

"Ok, then let's go."

I have to say, I don't know either if my dad will accept the fact that Christian and I are back together. To him, no one will ever be good enough for me, but someone who has hurt me once is probably not even close to acceptable for my dad. Still, I do believe that my dad and Christian could actually get along well if my dad would make a little effort to get to know Christian.

When we reach their home we get out of the car and as usual I don't even need to ring the doorbell, because my dad is already by the door, his smile, however, is very short-lived when he sees Christian and that we are holding hands.

"Hi, Dad." I say cheerfully.

"What is he doing here, Annie?"

"Christian is with me, Dad... Christian, why don't you go inside and find my mom, I'll talk to my Dad." I say and he nods and leaves us outside the house.

"Please do not tell me he tricked you into trusting him again, Annie."

"Dad please, it's not what you think. Christian loves me..."

"Hell Annie, you are a bright girl, what he did to you..."

"He didn't have anything to do with that live stream."

"Of course, he would say that." My father says in disgust.

"I went to see my former roommate from Harvard. She confessed that he didn't know... yes, Christian agreed to a bet and that is why he wanted to date me in the first place, but he was a stupid kid back then... trying to be cool, hung out with the wrong crowd... he is different now, Dad."

"This is insanity. He already hurt you once..."

"Dad, you taught me that people deserve a second chance. I mean, do you really believe that the CEO of a huge company, would move his headquarters to a different coast just so he could play me?"

"I don't trust him, Annie."

"Then trust me, Dad. Please, I love him... I want the two most important men in my life to get along." I beg and sighs.

"If he hurts you again, I'll beat him to a pulp." He grumbles.

"I know, but if he doesn't, can you try to get along with him, for me?"

"Fine, I trust your judgment, but don't expect too much for now."

"I won't... so, can we go inside?" I ask and he wraps one arm around my shoulder before we head inside and find my mom and Christian in the kitchen.

"Hello darling, you look good, Christian just told me he is planning your birthday party this year." My mom says as she hugs me.

"I know, nothing big though." I say and give Christian a look, but he just smiles.

For the rest of the day, I'm happy to see that my dad makes an effort to be nice to Christian and I feel that by the time we have to leave he has relaxed a lot just by witnessing the way Christian and I act around each other. They may not become best friends, but I'm hopeful that eventually, they will like each other.

It is almost 11 pm when we are back in New York and get into the elevator of our building.

"Do you want to stay at my place tonight, baby?" He asks me.

"Sure, I just need to get a few things from my place, just leave the door open, I'll be there in five minutes." I reply and kiss him when we get out of the elevator.

In my apartment, I walk into my bedroom and leave my overnight bag on the bed, walk into the closet and grab a dress, underwear, and heels for the next day, then get my toiletry bag from my overnight bag and walk into my study to grab my briefcase. I have just switched the light out when I hear a whooshing noise by my ear and quickly turn the light back on.

What I see makes me dropped everything I have kept in my hands and freeze. It's Leila, she is standing about four feet away from me and is pointing a gun with a silencer at me. At this moment I know that she is plain crazy and she just tried to shoot me.

"What's the matter, Ana... cat got your tongue?" She asks and I try to come up with a plan to get out of my apartment and to Christian's without her shooting me.

"How did you get in here?" I ask trying to sound calm when really, I'm anything but calm.

"I killed the guard by the garage and picked the lock." She says emotionless. Fuck, she killed someone... this is bad, really, really fucking bad. But I know if I panic or do anything to provoke her I'm dead. If I can drag this out Christian will come looking for me or his security guy will get suspicious... so I just have to keep her talking.

"Why?"

"Why? Are you stupid, you stole Christian from me once, I won't let you take him away from me again. He is mine, I deserve to be with a billionaire, you don't you stupid bitch."

"Why didn't you approach him in the last seven years?"

"Don't you think I have tried? But first, my parents cut me off, then Alden left me and then I couldn't even afford to go to Seattle to see him."

"So this is about money, I can give you money..."

"I don't want your fucking money... I want your fucking life... Christian won't even notice it's not you... I just have to kill you and take over." She says and I get the chills... if she truly thinks this will work than she is even crazier than I thought...

"What about my job?"

"I quit, of course... let's face it, why would I work if I have a billionaire boyfriend who can buy me whatever I like." She snorts and I want to roll my eyes, of course, the crazy bitch is a gold digger.

"And my friends... my family... you don't even know them." I say hoping she will ask for more information on them so I have a little more time.

"Tell me about them." She says and I take a deep breath, tell her about my parents and friends and try to think of something to maybe distract her from shooting me even more.

"I can show you pictures of them, so you know what they look like." I try and she slowly nods, with shaking legs, I move closer and pull my phone out of my jeans pocket just when we both hear it.

"MISS STEELE, PLEASE OPEN THE DOOR." I hear Taylor yell from the front door and then everything happens super fast, Leila panics, shots are fired and I take the only exit I have to get out of the line of fire.

**Christian**

Since Gail is already in bed and I don't want to wake her I start the fireplace myself and pour two glasses of wine for Ana and myself, before I walk into my bedroom and take my shoes and socks off.

I've just returned to the living room when Taylor comes in.

"Sir, we are having a situation."

"What is wrong?" I ask startled by his serious tone.

"I sent Sawyer down to let the fucking guard have it for not being in his spot again. Sawyer found his body, he was shot."

"What? Have you called the cops?"

"Of course, Sawyer is waiting for them as we speak. Is Miss Steele here?"

"No, she is in her apartment, she wanted to get some things."

"We need to get her. I believe Miss Williams killed the guard to get into the building."

"Leila... she is not that crazy..."

"Are you willing to bet Miss Steele's life on that?" He asks and I run out of the door with him right behind me and he starts to pound against Ana's door calling out for her to open.

As a response, we hear some weird noises from inside and I get a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"Kick the door in." I order Taylor and within 10 seconds the door is open, we hurry inside but Taylor rudely shoves me out of the line of fire as we see Leila with a gun aiming at us.

"Get out!" Taylor yells at me, but there is no fucking way I will leave this apartment without Ana.

"No." I stubbornly refuse. And while muttering expletives Taylor aims his gun at Leila fires and she drops her gun with a scream. He grabs Leila who is clutching her hand and shoves her into the bathroom before he looks it and informs Sawyer that we have the possible murderer in Ana's apartment, but all I can think of is that I haven't seen Ana.

"Ana? Baby where are you?" I call out but there is no reply, so I run around and try to find her, but there is nothing, no matter where I look I can't find her.

"Try her phone, maybe she managed to run." Taylor says so I dial her but and hear it ring in her study where Leila was. I find it on the ground right by the open window. I look at Taylor and I know what he is thinking, but I can't even allow myself to think that Ana jumped out of the window to escape a gun-wielding Leila... this is the 12th fucking floor... there is no way anyone would survive a fall like that. Slowly, with my heart racing, I move closer to the open window and look down, but there is nothing, I'm just about to close the window when I hear a tiny whimper over the noise of the city and look to the right. Fuck!

Ana is on the tiny fucking sill outside of the building that leads to my balcony. Her eyes are screwed shut, she is pressed against the building and shaking like a leave.

"Sir, have you... fuck." Taylor says as he comes to the window and sees Ana too.

"Ana, baby, don't move... ok, don't move." I call out to her.

"Christian... I'm scared." She whimpers and I have no idea what the fuck to do, I can't reach her and my fucking feet are too big to stand on the damned sill.

"Baby, listen to me, I need you to move back to the window so I can reach you. Can you do that for me?"

"No... I can't I'm scared."

"I know, I know you are scared, baby, but I need you to move closer to me so I can get you back inside... now take a deep breath, leave your eyes closed and slowly move to your left." I say trying to be as calm as possible. Very slowly she does and I'm sure at this point I have aged a thousand years I'm that terrified she'll slip and fall before she is within my reach.

"You're doing great baby, just a tiny bit more." I encourage her and finally, she is within my reach, so I take her hand and with two more steps, I can grab her lift her back into the apartment.

"Jesus, fucking Christ." I mutter and kiss her.

"Are you alright? Did Leila harm you?"

"No... she started to shoot when Taylor knocked and I had nowhere to go... I thought I could make it to your balcony but I almost fell and then I couldn't move at all, I heard you calling my name but I was too scared to even make a loud noise." Ana sobs and I sit down in her office chair and cradle her in my arms.

"It's alright, it's over baby... I got you."

"Sir, why don't you get Miss Steele to your place, I'll handle the police and send them over to you to get Miss Steele's statement." Taylor says after a moment and I carry Ana over to my place.

"Wine?" I ask when I sit her down on the couch.

"Do you have something stronger?" She asks and so I get her a whiskey which she downs in one gulp and then shudders.

"Not good?" I ask and sit down next to her.

"I thought I would fall... I don't even know why I got out there... I panicked." She mumbles.

"Baby, someone was shooting at you, of course, you tried to escape." Ana says and I close my eyes.

"I'm sorry, baby..."

"No, it's not your fault, you didn't do anything."

"If I wouldn't have mentioned that Leila could confirm the truth..." Ana surprises me by kissing me and then looks at me.

"Please, don't do this... I don't want this to come between us because you keep blaming yourself for Leila's insanity... if you do she won." Ana says and I sigh. I know she is right but I just terrified by the thought that this could hurt our relationship.

"I'll try, baby. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Just hold me."

**1 week later - Ana**

"We could just stay in bed a little longer and have brunch instead of breakfast." Christian says with a grin while he is still on top of me after our lovemaking.

"Sounds like a really good plan." I reply but suddenly there is a knock at the door.

"Ignore it." He grumbles.

"I can't the only people who can come up without me being alerted are my parents and Kate... neither of them will go away." I let him know and get up as soon as he has rolled off me. I quickly put my robe on and hurry to the front door where I find Kate.

"Hi Kate."

"Are you alright... oh my god, Ana... don't ever do that to me!" She says and pulls me into a firm embrace.

"Kate what is wrong?" I ask and usher her inside where she grabs something from the bag that is placed on James' stroller.

I look at the newspaper and curse when I see the headline: _"Billionaire girlfriend almost killed by crazy stalker" _along with a picture of Christian and I that must have been snapped last week as we went to dinner in a nearby Italian restaurant.

"Why didn't you tell me... I haven't heard from you all week and now this... what happened?" Kate asks and I hug her again to calm her down.

"Come, sit, do you want a tea?" I ask.

"What I want is a shot, but since I need to breastfeed James in an hour tea will do." She says and so I make myself busy in the kitchen. When the tea is ready we sit down and I take a deep breath.

"Christian and I are back together, it happened last weekend in Seattle when we went to his sister's birthday party... when we came home I just wanted to get a few things from my place and Leila was here... she shot at me, I escaped through a window..."

"A window?" Kate squeaks.

"Yeah, stupid idea but she was blocking the door and I thought I could make it to Christian's balcony... which I didn't, but he saved me. Leila has since been held in a mental institution."

"Are you alright? Did she hurt you?"

"No, I was insanely lucky... I'm sorry I haven't called you... I was just dealing with this and work..."

"Just don't let it happen again, you know you are like a sister to me. I get when you are busy, but just a quick text that you are fine would be nice."

"I promise."

"Good... so, it looks like you got lucky tonight." She smirks and I grin.

"Oh, I have been getting lucky all week... Christian is still in bed."

"Should I leave?"

"Why don't you have brunch with us instead, you are Ana's friend Kate, right?" We both hear Christian behind us and turn around. He is fresh from a shower, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt and looks yummy as hell.

"Why not, nice to meet you Christian." Kate says.

"There are some menus to order in the drawer over there, can I leave you guys for a moment so I can shower and get dressed?" I ask and they both nod.

Fifteen minutes later I'm back in the kitchen and find Christian cussing on the phone.

"I just told him about the news, he is talking to his chief of security." Kate says.

"Ok, have you guys ordered brunch?"

"Sure did, so are you happy?"

"Yes, I never in a million years thought that the guy who once broke my heart would make it whole again, but he sure does." I say and Kate grins.

"Actually, you look kinda high on love... do I need to intervene?" She teases.

"Don't you dare."

During brunch, I'm happy to see how well Kate and Christian are getting along and much to my surprise Christian is obsessed with baby James which makes me think about our future and my hope that in a few years he is going to be that sweet around our children.

When Kate has left however he suddenly looks very serious which has me worried.

"What is it?" I ask and he sighs.

"I don't want to fight with you, Ana... but I will if that is what it takes for you to agree to what I am going to say next." He says and I already know what he is about to say.

"Just tell Sawyer or whoever is going to follow me around not to harass my clients or follow me into the bathroom and I will live with it." I reply and he looks startled.

"How did you know that this was about security for you?"

"Until today I was no-one of interest to the world... I assume being officially named your girlfriend in the media is going to change that. I'd like to think that I can handle any unwanted attention... but I'm not delusional if a guy your size would come up to me, I know I don't have the skills to defend myself... so, while I would like to learn more about self-defense, I still agree to security... not just for my safety, but also for the peace of mind for everyone in my life."

"Thank you, baby. I will let Sawyer know and if you want to learn self-defense I can also arrange for you to meet with a personal trainer. So, what would you like for the rest of the day?" He asks and with a wicked grin I take my dress off leaving me naked in front of him.

"Well, that has a lot of possibilities." He chuckles and pulls me into his arms to kiss me.


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: Sorry for the delay, I was just so busy I didn't have the time to finish this chapter. Anyway, I hope all of you had a great start of 2020 :) **

**Christian**

I hate lying to Ana. I promised myself the moment she got back into my life to never lie to her again, but I had to. I couldn't tell her that I am going to Seattle to get her father's blessing before I propose to her on her birthday. I have everything planned, but I know I cannot propose to Ana without having her father's blessing. She would never agree to become my wife knowing that her father is against it.

To be fair, he has been almost friendly towards me both times I have seen him since Ana and I have been back together. At least her friends are on board with my plans to propose to Ana. Kate has been my ally in planning the whole thing. She has provided me with a list of Ana's closest friends, helped to find the right venue and told me that Ana would hate a public proposal, which was one of the ideas I had. Now, I'm pretty sure it's going to be amazing, so all that is left to do is to talk to Ray Steele, get his blessing and the hope to hell that Ana isn't going to think this is too soon.

Sure, we've only been dating a few weeks, but I want more. I want her and the world to know how serious I am about our relationship. So, getting engaged seems like the best way to achieve that. Truth be told, I would have loved to just have our wedding at her birthday but I was informed by Kate, Mia, and my mother that planning a wedding without the bride's input would probably send me to the doghouse rather quickly.

When I arrive at the Steele's home I am greeted by Ana's mom who is outside taking care of the flowerbeds in her front yard.

"Christian, how lovely to see you, is Ana here too?" Carla asks as she hurries over to me to hug me. I have to say, I adore Ana's mom. In a lot of ways, she reminds me of Ana and unlike her husband, she is already treating me like a son.

"Good to see you, Carla and no, Ana is in New York... and I would like it if you wouldn't tell her I was here. I would like to speak to Ray."

"Of course... wait, does this mean what I think it does?" She asks excited and I smile.

"Oh... come, he is in his garage." She says and I almost laugh when she grabs my hand and drags me with her to the garage.

"Ray, Christian is here to see you... and don't you dare to give the boy a hard time again." She says and gives him a pointed look before she leaves the garage.

"Oh hell no, you have been dating my daughter for less than a month!" Ray Steele exclaims when he walks over to me. I guess the cat is out of the bag...

"I love her." Is my simple reply.

"Let's go inside, I need a drink for this conversation."

I follow him inside and into the study where he fills two tumblers of whiskey and hands me one.

"So, you want to ask for my blessing to marry Ana?" He says and I nod.

For almost five minutes he says nothing and then walks over to a cabinet and gets a scrapbook.

"This picture was taken a week after Annie came to live with us." He says and I frown when I see the picture. I'm not an expert when it comes to babies, but I know Ana was more than a year old when her grandparents took her in, yet she looks so tiny and dainty in the picture.

"She was so tiny." I murmur.

"Cara didn't take proper care of her. She neglected her... when Cara left that day Annie didn't make a sound, in fact, when her mother got up to leave I held Annie in my arms and that little baby gripped my shirt in her tiny hands with all the strength she had, as if she was terrified that her mother would take her with her. I promised myself I would never allow for her to get hurt by someone she loves again... and then you came along." He says and I know he is not going to give me his blessing.

"You have hurt when she was already hurt enough for one lifetime. Now, I do understand you were a kid yourself and I even believe that you love her but if you want my blessing then I want your promise." He continues and I frown.

"What promise?"

"I want your promise that you will never hurt my daughter again. I'm not talking about arguments in marriage... that happens... but if you cheat on her, try to control her or worse lay hand on her to harm her I promise you there is no place on this earth and no security to protect you from me. So, can you give me this promise?" He asks and I don't even have to think about my answer.

"I promise, Mr. Steele. I love Ana, I have tried for so many years to find someone who can make me feel the way she does, but the simple truth is, Ana is it for me and I would never intentionally hurt her."

"Good, then you have my blessing." He says and his expression turns sour before he adds. "And my wife wants grandchildren."

I chuckle hearing him say that. "So does my mom, though I don't think Ana is ready to step away from her work to have kids."

"You could always step back." He says with a challenging look on his face.

"I fully intend to work less once Ana and I start a family, but Ana still has to cut down on her work. I don't think it would be healthy for her to be pregnant and still work up to 80 hours a week. We are both still young and can make that decision once we are ready."

"True." He agrees and I'm just glad I got his blessing, so I know there won't be anything to stop Ana from saying yes, once I propose to her.

**Ana**

"I still can't believe all of you know where we are going and won't tell me." I pout looking at my friends Libby, Kate, Danika, Paige and Morgan who are all with me on a private jet en route to I don't know where for my birthday.

Christian had business in Seattle, so he will be traveling to our destination with his parents and siblings, as well as my parents, who will meet for the first time on this trip. I'm a little nervous about this, but also I'm very excited that Kate is with me. This is the first time she will be without her baby since he was born. I told her it would be fine to bring the baby, but she said she wanted to gain a little freedom back and also this was a great opportunity for her husband to spend time with James alone, as he is traveling a lot for work.

We are already sipping cocktails, though I have passed on alcohol because I tend to get drunk right away if I have alcohol on a plane. Of course, this is a vacation, still, I don't want to fall out of a plane completely drunk when Christian and his family are there to witness it since they will land ten minutes before us.

"Don't pout, it's a surprise." Morgan says and I sigh. Truth be told, I'm not a fan of surprises. Last time I was surprised it was by a gun-wielding crazy woman in my apartment.

I still can't believe I climbed out of the window to escape and it certainly hasn't helped with my fear of heights. The only thing it did was me calling in sick for the first time since I started to work at my current job. I just was in no state to do anything the next day. Even Christian stayed home with me and we just had a quiet day in.

I guess we both needed to just hold on to each other that day. Leila is still in a mental institution and the district attorney has told us that she probably would remain there for a long time since her mental state is not making it possible for her to be prosecuted. While I want her behind bars, I can also live with her being locked up in a high-security mental health institution.

I look up and see my new shadow Luke Sawyer reading a book and look away again. He has been following me ever since the Leila incident and I'm not ashamed to admit that I really do need him. Ever since it has become public knowledge that I am Christian's girlfriend it seems like people have gone nuts. I had crazy people call my place of work to get in touch with me. The paparazzi always seem to lurk somewhere to snap pictures of me, one even followed me into a store and tried to snap pictures of me while I was getting tampons which really annoyed me, but my absolute favorite are all the insane gold diggers.

Thanks to them, I no longer have lunch in one of the deli's near my office, but have Paige or Sawyer get my lunch for me. I can't even count the times I just walked across the street when some fake as fuck looking women screamed things like: 'He's mine!' or: 'I can fuck him better' after me and I just don't need that in my life. Don't they realize that no guy would want a woman who behaves herself like that in public?

Still, being with Christian is worth it. He makes me feel alive and loved, so I can deal with the crazy that comes due to his wealth.

"So... Paige, did you pack winter clothes or bikinis for me?" I ask her casually, since Christian had asked her to pack for me.

"Not going to tell."

"I'm still your boss." I mutter but she knows I'm kidding.

"I know, but what I also know is that you would be upset if I would spoil your surprise for you. Plus, it's just one more hour and we should be there." She offers and I decide to give up. None of my friends is going to tell me, so why bother and Paige is right, I'm secretly really excited about this trip and that everything is a surprise. In all of my soon twenty-six years on this earth, I never had a surprise party for my birthday. As a kid it was just my parents and me, in college I would either go home or celebrate with my friends and for the last couple of years I usually went home to have a quiet birthday with my parents and would a week or two later have a girls night with my friends, so this is really exciting.

When we land I want to run to the door but much to my dismay Kate suddenly produces a blindfold from her purse and I am not allowed to leave the plane until I agree to be blindfolded.

Sawyer and Kate lead me off the jet and to a car but I'm surprised that Christian is not there to greet me.

"Mr. Grey arrived an hour earlier than expected so you'll meet them at our destination, Ma'am." I hear Sawyer's voice.

"Can I make an early birthday wish, Sawyer?" I ask.

"Certainly, Ma'am."

"Great, please stop with the Ma'am, you've been following me around for weeks now... it's Ana and if you are uncomfortable with that at least use my name."

"As you wish, Miss Steele."

"Thank you." I mutter and a little later the car stops, someone opens the door and before he even says something I know it is Christian, I can simply feel his presence.

"I'm going to carry you, baby." He whispers into my ear and then lifts me out of the car.

"Where are we, Christian?"

"Just a second then I'll show you." He says and continues to carry me until he puts me down, steps behind me and removes the blindfold. At first, I just blink because the sunlight is hurting my eyes but then I take a look at my surroundings and gasp. It's like I jumped into a picture of one of the travel blogs I'm secretly obsessed with.

We are on a white stone terrace with an infinity pool and right behind it is the most amazing ocean view I have ever seen in all of my life.

"As good as the pictures you like to look at when you feel stressed?" Christian whispers into my ear and I turn to look at him.

"How did you know?"

"The day after what happened with Leila I found you asleep on the couch with your tablet still on next to you. I saw the blog you were looking at, do you like it here?"

"I have no idea where here is but I love it." I reply with a huge smile and kiss him.

"In that case, I am happy to inform you that we are on the beautiful Island of Martinique. Here." He says and hands me a small gift box.

I open it and frown when inside is a key. "A key?"

"Yes, it's your birthday present." He says with a smile.

"Ok... what does this key open?"

"The front door of course." He smirks.

"Front door?"

"To your new beach villa... do you like it?" He says and motions around with his hand.

"My... you... but... what?" I stutter and he laughs.

"From now on, if you feel stressed you no longer have to look at pictures... you can just come here and relax."

"You bought me a house... here?" I finally out.

"Yes... we both have very demanding jobs, so I thought it would be great for us to have a place we can go to and just relax for a few days. I already hired a local woman as our housekeeper, she will live in the guesthouse with her family and they will take care of the house for us."

"You are insane... but I love you so, so much." I giggle and kiss him again. Yes, it is way over the top, too expensive by far... but it's the thought behind it that makes me so excited... this is not just for me... it's for us and hopefully one day for our family.

For the rest of the day we all just relax and the next morning during breakfast my dad and Christian's dad tell us about their plans to rent a boat and go fishing. Elliott immediately wants to join them and I can see that Christian is really excited about the prospect of going on a little fishing trip too but says nothing.

"Do you want to go with them?" I ask.

"No... it's your birthday weekend, I'll stay with you."

"Ok, I thought about going to town and do a little shopping. You know, just some dresses and bikinis I can leave here, so I don't have to bring clothes each time we come here." I say even though I just now had that idea.

"Shopping... well that sounds..."

"Christian, you can go fishing if you want to."

"Are you sure?" He asks hopefully.

"Yes, go you do a little guy time and I'm sure all the women will keep me good company until we see us again in a few hours."

"Thank you, I never got to go fishing on the ocean... sounds like fun."

"See, and I'll have a lot of fun exploring the local shops."

"I'll give you my credit card." He says and I raise a brow.

"You have spent enough money on me lately..."

"I can afford it."

"I can afford it too."

"Fine." He pouts and I kiss him.

"Don't pout, I worked so hard to get to a place where I don't have to think about if I can afford to buy new clothes... and I know you like to take care of me in every way, but from time to time I just want to spend my own money." I give him my best puppy eye look and he rolls his eyes.

"Ok, if it makes you happy." He says and so after lunch, he goes off with the guys while all the women and I had to a nearby mall to do a little shopping. Truth be told, I'm not really keen on shopping sprees but that's mainly because I mostly only buy clothes for work but the clothes I am buying now are fun, just some sundresses, cover-ups and bikinis so I actually don't mind it.

"Did he really buy you the house we are staying at?" My mom asks while we are looking at some cover-ups.

"Yes... I know, it's way over top but..."

"Actually, I was going to say that it is a beautiful gift... both of you work so much, now you have a place to go to and relax together." My mom says.

"I thought the same." I muse and we continue with our little shopping spree.

Back at the house I take a quick shower and unpack before I meet my Mom and Elise outside by the pool.

"Where is everyone else?" I ask as I sit down on one of the sun loungers.

"Grace and Mia decided to take a nap and your friends wanted to go to the beach." Elise says and I decide to stay with them instead of going to the beach as well.

Much to my surprise when the men return Christian isn't with them and all they can tell me is that he wanted to get something and would be back in a little while.

Two hours later I've tried to call him multiple times but his phone is switched off but besides from me no one seems to even worry.

"Come Annie, let's take a walk." My dad says and I shake my head.

"No, I want to wait for Christian."

"Come, he'll be back by the time we get back here." My dad replies and more or less drags me with him.

"Do you know what Christian wanted to get?"

"Sure, but you have to wait and see."

"So... it's another birthday present?" I ask confused since he already gave me the beach villa.

"Not quite." My dad chuckles and I purse my lips.

"What is going on dad?"

"You'll see." He says and we walk towards the beach.

"Wait what's that?" I murmur when I see that someone has outlined a path in the sand by using seashells.

"Just follow the path, Annie." My dad says and kisses my forehead before he simply turns around and walks away.

With a sigh, I start to walk along the path until I see a white tent with all four sites open, inside is a table with two chairs. There are petals all around the tent and torches in the sand have been sat up but aren't yet lit.

When I reach the tent there is an envelope on the table with my name written on it. So, I open the envelope and read the short note.

_Close your eyes and wait for me, baby._

_Christian_

Closing my eyes I start to think about what this surprise might be so I'm startled when I feel someone grab my hand but relax when the familiar spark is there so I know it is Christian.

"Open your eyes, baby." He says and when I do I gasp because Christian is right in front of me on one knee and even though he hasn't said anything I can already feel tears well up in my eyes.

"Ana, when we first met I didn't even know what falling in love would be like but with you, it just happened and from the moment I fell in love with you my heart has been all yours. You are the most beautiful, kind and extraordinary woman I have ever met and I know I don't ever want to live without you again. So, I need to ask you, Anastasia Rose Steele do you want to marry me?" He says and takes a ring box with the most beautiful vintage, white gold engagement ring from his pants pocket.

"Yes!" I blurt out and find myself in his arms with his lips on mine just a second later.

"I love you, baby." He says when he puts the ring on my finger and then kisses it. "Mine." He whispers and I smile.

"Yours."

And so we spend the evening together at the beach having dinner he has arranged for us and then just start to make plans for our future and I couldn't be happier. Just a few months ago I was miserable and thought I would never find happiness and now I am here, in the arms of the man I have loved since I was eighteen years old and I know I get to spend the rest of my life with him. Life just couldn't get any better...

**The next chapter is already complete and will be up next weekend. I'm also going to move the story a bit forward, so the next chapter is set 2 years later :)**


	11. Chapter 11

_**Ana - Two years later  
**_

"Ana, the representatives from FabGlam will be here in thirty minutes." Paige says and she pops her head into my office and I nod.

I have been working on this deal for almost two months now and I have never been this exhausted working on a big deal as I am now. All I want to do is curl up in bed and sleep for a month. Christian has noticed too, because I'm also cranky and look like a zombie, but I know once this deal is done and I can take a day or two off, all will be fine again. Looking at my desk I grab our wedding picture and smile at it. Christian and I got married just three months after his proposal on Christmas Eve in a small ceremony with just our family and closest friends. The ceremony took place on the beach at Martinique and while our guest left the day after Christmas Christian and I stayed for five weeks to have our honeymoon there. That was the longest time either of us had ever taken off of work and it was amazing to just live in the day a little, explore the island with Christian and just relax and have time for each other.

We also talked a lot about starting a family but decided to wait until I turn thirty because I know once I have a child I won't continue to work and for now I'm not willing to stop working and Christian is ok with that though I can tell that he is ready to become a father. He just loves kids which is adorable because he will drop everything that is going on if he gets the chance to see his now nine months old niece Sierra or Kate's son James and his little brother Anthony. It's just too cute to watch him interact with them and I know he is going to be an amazing father.

To be honest though, at twenty-six turning thirty seemed so far away but now at twenty-eight, it feels like it is just around the corner and I'm not sure if I'm ready. Yes, I want to be a mother one day and have Christian's children... but deep down I'm scared. Scared to turn out like my mother. I mean she carried me inside of her for nine months, gave birth to me and still neglected me until she just dropped me off to live with her parents and never even thought of me again. and it's not like she didn't have great parents to look at as a role model... so maybe being a mother just isn't in her nature and she just learned to hide it better with age to keep her rich husband.

The thought that I could turn out like her makes me want to not have children at all. After all, I know that would be the one thing that could drive Christian and me apart. Trying to push that thought away I go through the presentation again and then get up to go to the meeting room and check if everything is ready.

"Are you alright, Ana? You look awfully pale." Paige says as I pass her desk.

"I'm fine." I reply a bit too harsh and she looks at me in surprise. "Sorry, I'm just a little cranky lately... not sure what is going on with me."

"Do you want me to book you a doctor's appointment for a check-up?"

"No, I guess it's just all the late hours of work getting to me." I shrug and had to the restrooms. When I look into the mirror I groan. I look like shit, my skin is pale in a sick kind of way, my eyes look dull and I even my hair is frizzy which it hasn't been in so many years. So, I hurry back into my office, grab my little make-up bag from my purse and hurry bag.

After a good ten minutes, I have managed to make myself look at least a little more presentable and then hurry into the meeting room just in time for the potential new clients to arrive.

I have made it through almost half of the presentation when I suddenly start to feel really nauseous and take a quick sip of my tea hoping it will pass but instead that seems to make it worse. Still, I continue to talk and point out how working with us cannot only be beneficial in raising their sales but also will allow them to reach a wider variety of customers.

"We expect to raise your profits by up to 15 percent within the first quarter of... oh my god..." I gasp when I feel my stomach rise and cannot even manage to excuse myself before I have to make a mad dash out of the meeting room. In my mind, all I'm telling myself is to keep it in until I reach the restrooms, but suddenly my boss and main chairholder of the company Carlton who must have followed me stops me by holding my arm.

"What is going on, Ana?" He asks and I want to push past him but can't manage and then it's too late and I can no longer keep the contents of my stomach in and throw up all over the floor and my boss's really expensive looking Italian suit and shoes.

"Oh my God... I... I'm so sorry, Carlton." I gasp and feel tears running down my cheeks.

"Come... let's not make a spectacle here. Paige, please call a cleaning crew and bring some tea for Ana to my office." He says and ushers me into his office.

"Lay down on the couch, I have a change of clothes here, will you be fine for a moment?" He asks and when I nod he heads into his private bathroom, while all I want is for the ground to swallow me up.

After three minutes he returns and gives me a warm smile. "You need to rest, Ana. Why don't you try to nap a little and have Paige call your husband to pick you up. Take a few days to recover while I deal with FabGlam for you."

"No, I can..."

"Ana, that was not an offer... you have been looking sick for days now, take a few days to rest. We need you here, don't play with your health." He says and leaves the office while Paige comes in and gives me a cup of tea but even the very light smell of the tea is too much for my stomach and quickly takes it away.

After a moment I take my phone from my dress pocket and dial Christian.

"Hey baby, how is your day going?"

"Well, I just ran out of a meeting and then threw up all over the lobby and my boss... so you tell me." I murmur.

"What... fuck, I'll come over and take you home, do you want to see a doctor?"

"No... I just want to sleep... I'm in Carlton's office, he has a sofa so I can nap until you come to get me."

"Ok, I'll be there in about 15 minutes... I love you, baby."

"I love you too." I reply weakly and end the call before I close my eyes to nap a little.

"Baby, wake up, do you want me to carry you?" I hear Christian's voice and wake up.

"No, I can walk." I murmur and instead of getting up I wrap my arms around his neck and pull him closer so I can snuggle into him.

"Let me get you home, baby, this sofa is too small for me to properly lay down with you." He says gently and even though I don't want to I let go of him and he helps me to get up.

"I need to get my stuff." I already asked Paige to give your purse and work laptop to Sawyer. Come, let's get you home, you don't look well, do you still feel nauseous?"

"A little." I reply and we leave Carlton's office. If I would have told Christian how awful I'm really feeling he would have insisted on taking me to see a doctor but I just want to go home, lay down and have him hold me. Sadly, today nothing goes as I hoped it would and just as we about to reach the elevators and I feel Christian catch me in his arms just as I am about to pass out.

_**Christian**_

When Ana and I leave the office her boss I exchange a look with Taylor letting him know that we are not going home but to the hospital. Ana has not been eating or sleeping right for about two weeks now, she is constantly exhausted, has been sick more than once and now she looks like actual fucking death and I'm done. I get that she doesn't like to be sick but this is getting out of hand and I'm not having it. I was ready to drag her ass to the next doctor this morning when she wouldn't even touch her breakfast but decided to let her get through the meeting first which turned out to be a fucking mistake.

I know she doesn't want to see a doctor which is why I told Taylor that I would first look at her before I would make the decision to take her anyway, but judging from the horrified look on his face, he too would have taken her anyway. We have almost reached the elevator when I feel Ana sway next to me, I look at her, see her eyes roll back and quickly grab her so she doesn't fall.

"Ana! Look at me... baby, open your eyes." I cry out but Taylor is already by our side checking her vitals.

"Call an ambulance, Jason!" I snap at him.

"Have you seen the fucking traffic on our way here... no, we take her to the hospital, it's just two blocks from here." He says and I nod.

The entire car ride I try to wake her up, but she isn't fully waking up, her eyes flutter a few times but she doesn't open them and at the hospital, they take her from me and I have to wait. Fuck, what if this is something bad, I'll never forgive myself for not insisting that she sees a doctor if this is something bad.

Finally, after nearly thirty minutes the doctor comes to speak to me.

"How is my wife?"

"She is awake, she was dehydrated and her blood pressure is a little too low. We are running more tests to get to the bottom of what caused her to faint. For now, we would like to keep her here overnight just to make sure her blood pressure doesn't get any lower."

"Can I see her?"

"Of course, a nurse will be with you shortly and bring you to your wife. I'll be back to talk to both of you once the test results have come in."

Another five minutes later I am finally led to the private suite Ana has now been situated in and find her in bed giving me a weak smile.

"Hey, you scared me... do you feel better?"

"A little... tired mostly." She says and I sit down on the edge of the bed. "Baby, I want you to cut back on work for a little while. You have been working way too much lately."

"I know, but you know how I am, once there is a new deal on the horizon I just can't help but put all of my time into it."

"I understand that, but you no longer need to prove yourself, everyone already knows that you are the best in what you are doing. At this point, you should no longer convince people that you are the best for the job but have them convince you that their products are worthy of your time."

"Maybe... did the doctors find out what is wrong with me?"

"No, just that you've been dehydrated and that your blood pressure is a little too low, they are running some tests to figure out more. You will have to stay here overnight."

"No, please, I want to go home." She begs and I hate to say no to her.

"Baby, you know I want you home too, but we first need to figure out why you fainted. Maybe once the results are in the doctor will change his mind, but I'm not taking you home until you have been cleared to leave."

"Ok." She mumbles and falls asleep after a while. I just sit there and watch my wife while still praying that nothing bad is going on with her.

Another three hours pass by until the doctor returns and I hold Ana's hand tightly as he starts to speak.

"So, we just got the results from your blood tests back but besides the fact that your iron level is a little low everything looks just fine."

"So, you don't know why I fainted?"

"Oh, we do know now, but it is nothing to worry about you are a very healthy young woman, Mrs. Grey."

"Excuse me, but if my wife is healthy then why did she faint?"

"Well, fainting, exhaustion, nausea and being slightly irritated for no apparent reason, as your wife has described to me earlier are all normal symptoms for what we found, Mr. Grey... congratulations you are pregnant, Mrs. Grey." He says and I'm shocked... a baby... fuck me, I'm going to be a father!

"Are you sure, I just had my last contraception shot about eight weeks ago, I should be good for another three to four weeks." Ana says and to my surprise, she sounds horrified.

"Well, it seems the shot must have failed, of course, we still have to do an ultrasound to confirm the pregnancy but the blood test was very clearly showing that you are indeed pregnant, Mrs. Grey."

"Can I go home please... I can see my doctor tomorrow."

"Well, we would still like to keep you until tomorrow to see if your blood pressure will balance itself back to a normal level." He says and Ana just nods and seems to zone out not even listening to the doctor anymore until he leaves.

"Are you alright, baby?" I ask her and apparently that was the wrong thing to say because her eyes turn into angry little slits.

"No, I'm not fucking fine... just leave... leave me alone!" She yells taking me by surprise.

"Like hell I will... why are you this upset, Ana? I know we didn't plan for you to get pregnant now, but we can make this work... I'm ready for this."

"Well, good for you because I am not and maybe I won't ever be so don't bring out the onesies and diapers just now, because I'm not having this child." She hisses and I have to fight the urge to yell at her.

"I'm sorry to say it Mrs. Grey but you are pregnant and you will have this child... it's not just your decision."

"It's my body and my decision if you ever get knocked up I promise you can do whatever you like." She says sarcasm dripping from each word and I close my eyes and count to ten... this is not the time or place to get into a yelling match with my wife.

"This discussion is not over... I'm going to take a walk, we are talking once I'm back." I reply stone-faced and leave the room. Heading out of the hospital I know Taylor is following me and I would talk to him but right now I need my family for advice so I call Elliott.

"Hey kiddo, what's up?"

"Hell if I know... my wife has lost her god damn mind and I don't know what to do with her."

"Whoa, you sound pissed."

"Yeah, first she looked sick as fuck for days and refused to see a doctor, then she got sick at work and fainted when I got there to pick her up and just now we found out that she is pregnant and she does not want to have the child... help me out here Elliott, how do I even discuss this with her without losing my shit?!"

"Well shit, did she really say she doesn't want to have the baby?"

"Yes, she said it's her body and her choice... I mean yes, she is right in a way, but that is our child... and I don't know if I could forgive her if she really goes through with it."

"You can't force her to have the baby either."

"I know that... fuck... I just don't understand... we both agreed on having children in the future... I just don't get it."

"Maybe she is scared you'll expect her to quit her job."

"Why would I do that? We both can cut back on work and if that isn't enough we can also hire a nanny. Unless Ana wants to be a stay at home mom I'm not forcing her into that role."

"Ok, so have you asked her why she doesn't want to have the baby?"

"No, I was just so pissed and she was angry... I told her I was going for a walk so we wouldn't end up in a yelling match."

"Look kiddo, I know it's hard and I get that you are pissed but you guys have to talk. Unless you know why she doesn't want to go through with the pregnancy you guys can't figure this out."

"Yeah... I guess... Christ, I thought the moment we would get news like this would be a happy moment for both of us."

"It still can be... just listen to her. You guys both have a short temper sometimes so try to keep yours in check or else she'll just get defensive."

"Maybe... I should go back inside." I mutter and head back inside. I find Ana inside but I can tell that she has been crying and I hate this. I hate that she isn't talking to me and that she has been crying and that I don't know how to fucking fix this.

Since Ana didn't wake up before the visiting time was over I had no choice but to leave. Still, I called my assistant Kelly to let her know I wouldn't be in today as well and arrive at the hospital at 9 am to pick Ana up.

"Do you feel better?"

"Yes, can we leave now?" She asks clipped, so I decide to wait until we are home to have this discussion. Back home, however, she is trying to avoid me by locking herself in the bathroom to take a shower but I wait until she is back in our bedroom.

"Talk to me, Ana."

"Why? You already know that I won't have this child."

"Why?" I ask trying to sound calm when really I'm fighting a losing battle with my temper.

"Because I don't want to find out I'm like my mother when it's too late." She says and I frown.

"Your mother is... oh..." I stop when I realize she is not talking about the mother who raised her but the mother who gave birth to her and with that all of my rising anger is gone.

"Ana why would you think that you could turn out like your mother?"

"Well, how am I supposed to know what kind of a mother I am going to be. Cara had my parents who were a great example of what parents should be like and she still turned out the way she did... what if I'm just not motherly... I cannot put a child through that."

"But you always wanted to have children." I point out.

"Yes... but it's different when it's only an idea of maybe one day. Ever since I found out I'm in a constant state of panic and..." She says and stops when I get up.

"We just found out, give it some time Ana." I beg and she walks over to her purse and walks over to me.

"I'm twelve weeks along, Christian... I found out eight weeks ago when I was supposed to get my next shot." She says and hands me a sonogram picture.

"Why haven't you told me?"

"I... I don't know... when my doctor told me I panicked and then I had so much work to do and just convinced myself that the positive test was a mistake and when I started to feel some symptoms I told myself it's just the flu or a stomach bug because... I'm terrified of turning out like her..." She sobs and I pull her into my arms and just let her have a good cry.

"Better?" I ask when her sobs have calmed down to a few small sniffles.

"No... I'm just scared and I don't want to fight."

"Then we won't fight. Have you seen a doctor to get more information on... your options?" I ask trying to sound calm.

"No, I just started to take the vitamins my doctor has given me."

"Do you really want to end the pregnancy?"

"No." She whispers without looking at me.

"Are you saying this because you think it is what I want to hear?"

"No... because I'm also scared that if I don't go through with the pregnancy I am going to regret this for the rest of my life. I just don't know what to do." She says and I honestly feel helpless in this situation. Ana has never wanted to discuss her mother with me, it's the one part of her life she acts as though it has never happened and I have nothing in my life to relate what she must be feeling.

"You know, I want to tell you that I know you are going to be an amazing mother and also that I would never allow you to be a bad mother but I'm not sure it would help you... maybe this is something you should discuss with someone who really knows how to help you. I mean obviously what has happened with your mother has had a bigger impact on you as you like to admit." I say and watch her carefully.

"What if I can't figure this out in time... I can't be like her, I would never forgive myself for putting my own child through something like this."

"First, you have me and that is something your mother didn't have. I will always make sure you and our child will be fine but maybe this is something you should also discuss with your therapist."

"I haven't seen her since we got married."

"Have you ever talked about your mother with her?"

"No... that was the one topic I didn't want to discuss."

"I can go with you, whatever you need we will do."

"I guess I should call her... Christian, I'm scared you are going to leave me."

"I'm not going anywhere, Ana. We'll figure this out together, I promise." I tell her and I know we can get through this together. I know Ana is going to be a wonderful mother for our child, so all that needs to happen is for her to see that...


	12. Chapter 12

**Hi guys, I'm sorry it's been so long. With everything going on in the world right now I just didn't feel like writing, so I never got to finish this chapter. I hope you are all ok. I'll try to post more regularly. Stay safe and healthy!**

**Christian**

"Thank you for coming to New York, dad." I mutter as I hug my dad.

"Any time you need me, son, you know I'm right here." He says with a smile and I lead him to the waiting car.

"Are we not going to your place, son?" He asks when Taylor drives in the opposite direction.

"Not right away, dad. I thought we can have lunch first. I've booked a private dining room for us." I explain and can tell that my father is curious, but decides to give me time until I'm ready to talk.

After we have arrived at the restaurant and placed our order I decide to just get it out.

"Have you ever been so upset with mom, you didn't even know how to approach the subject?" I start and my father raises a brow.

"Well, every marriage has its ups and downs. Why don't you tell me what happened?"

"Ana is pregnant, thirteen weeks now." I say and he frowns.

"You don't sound excited?"

"I am, I can't wait to become a father... but Ana doesn't think she is going to be a good mother. What's even worse is that she knew for eight weeks and didn't tell me."

"Why would Ana think that she is going to be a bad mother?"

"I haven't told you but Ray and Carla are not Ana's biological parents. They had a daughter when they both were very young, Cara, she ran off as a teen and returned with Ana. Ana was just about a year old and her biological mother had not taken proper care of her. She was malnourished, bruised up... you get the picture. Anyway, for some reason finding out she is pregnant triggered something in Ana. When she found out she just went on as if nothing happened and made herself believe it wasn't true until she passed out and a doctor at the hospital confirmed her pregnancy again."

"My God, that is awful... have you talk to Ana, told her that she has nothing to worry about?"

"Of course, she is also seeing a therapist but... I just can't get over the fact that she didn't tell me. I mean how can I trust her with anything if she keeps something like that from me?" I finally put my feelings into words and my father takes a moment until he answers.

"I understand where you are coming from and you are entitled to feel that way, still I do not think that Ana meant to hurt your feelings. Sometimes the brain simply refuses to comprehend things fully if this could cause old fears or bad memories to resurface. Sure Ana was too young to remember what was done to her but that doesn't mean that those memories aren't still there somewhere in her subconscious. If she is seeing a therapist I'm sure this will help her. As for your feelings, you need to address them with your wife. Yes, she needs your support now but keeping those feelings in for too long is going to make things worse in the end."

"I just don't know how without yelling at her. I mean we have been through so much, I just don't understand how she could keep this from me."

"Son, I truly understand that you are hurt, I would be as well but take this from someone who has been married for many years, your wife already knows how you feel. She is probably just waiting for you to approach the subject in your own time. The longer you drag this out the more damage it is going to cause in your marriage."

"But she is pregnant, I don't want to stress her out." I reply and my dad gives me a warm smile.

"Believe me, if you asked most parents when they thought the most or had one of their worst arguments they will probably tell you it was during pregnancy. Hormones, frustrations, different opinions and especially the first time around also because it's a huge adjustment on any relationship. By the time your mother was about to give birth to Elliott she had an aching back from carrying him for nine months and mine was in constant pain from sleeping on the sofa more times than I like to admit."

"I never heard you guys fight."

"Well, you weren't born back then and Grace and I agreed on never arguing in front of our children but like any couple, we have had our arguments."

Since my dad had to go back to Seattle in the late afternoon I decided to go home and finally get this over with. At the apartment, I look around for Ana and find her on the sofa in the living room reading.

"Hi." I murmur.

"Hi, stranger." She says with a sad smile and I know she is right I was here... but in a way, I also wasn't.

"Can we talk?"

"Sure," Ana says and scoots over to make room for me to sit next to her.

"So... how has seeing your therapist again been?"

"Good I guess but that isn't what you need to get off your chest, isn't it?" She asks and I chuckle, seems like my dad was right.

"Do you trust me?"

"Of course I do and I know this going to sound cliche, but this was not about you..."

"Oh, so you being pregnant with my child is not about me?" I snap.

"No... I didn't mean it like that. Look, this was and still is about my issues... I know not telling you was wrong, but I panicked and then I convinced myself that I'm not pregnant so for me, there wasn't anything I had to share with you."

"And your symptoms... you were sick and then you fainted."

"I just convinced myself I was stressed. I know I've hurt you but I didn't mean to."

"Is there anything else that you haven't told me?"

"No... I understand that it is hard for you to believe but to me, you are always the first person I go to if I have something on my mind."

I look at her and run both hands through my hair with a sigh.

"Do you know why finding out that you are pregnant triggered you so much?" I ask, maybe if I can figure this out I can also understand how my wife simply ignored the fact that she is pregnant.

"I've told you that my biological mother wasn't interested in meeting me when I was ten... what I didn't tell you is that I overheard the conversation my parents had with my mother. They had asked me to wait outside after they found out her phone number. I was a curious kid... so of course, I eavesdropped."

"What did she say?" I ask though I can tell from Ana starting to fidget with her hands that it is bad, so I take her hands in mine.

"If it's too much..."

"No, it's fine. At first, she tried to just end the call, but my dad told her if she would do that he would show up at her place next. She said... she said she wished the entire pregnancy that I would die in the womb and I wouldn't even die later no matter how much she beat me I just wouldn't die. She even admitted that she tried to drown me before she dropped me off at her parents. She said just looking at me made her want to hurt me... that she didn't feel that way with her other children and... what if I'm like that Christian?"

"Stop! You are nothing like that. Do you hear me, you are not like her and you never will be. I don't know if your biological mother was on drugs or had psychological issues because there is no way someone without any sort of mental issue would do or say the things she did. Also, you are in a completely different position, you are not a teenage runaway with a boyfriend who doesn't give a shit. You have me and do you really believe just for one second that I would allow you to treat our child like that?"

"No, I know you would leave me with our child... and that thought scares me too." She says after a long moment and I sigh.

"Baby, I am not going to leave you. I lost you once, and I will never go through that hell again. We are a team, so no matter what happens, we'll get through it together." I try to convince her because to me we are still talking about a situation that is never going to happen.

"But you are still mad at me." She finally says and I snort.

"Yes, well... not so much mad more hurt... but I'm trying to see this from your point of view which helps a little."

"And I'll try to keep my crazy in check a bit more." She says with the tiniest hint of a smile on her face.

"You are not crazy, you just have to learn how to properly deal with your past." I try to convince her because the fact that she is calling herself crazy doesn't sit right with me at all. Ana is not mentally unstable. She just has to learn to live all the trauma from her past, so eventually, she will be able to let it go.

"There is one more thing. My therapist believes it would be good for me to confront my mother. She believes because seeing you again was so beneficial for me it might be the same with Cara." Ana says and I close my eyes and start to count to ten because none of my immediate thoughts on that idea are sharable.

"Have you reached ten yet?" Ana asks after a moment and I snort.

"Look... shit, I don't even know what to say to that." I mutter and Ana takes a deep breath.

"I told my therapist I won't do it while I'm pregnant. I'm scared meeting her will make me so upset that... you know... something goes wrong."

"But you are considering it?" I ask surprised.

"Yes... I'm not excited about it... but she wasn't wrong when she said that meeting you again has helped me a lot. I know the situation is completely different... but maybe I can finally close this chapter of my life if I get closure." She says quietly.

"Can I be present for this meeting?" I ask, if she needs this I support her but hell if I let her do this alone.

"That's alright, and if you want you can also be there for my next appointment with my therapist. I don't want this to drive us apart."

"It won't, baby. But I would like to be present for you next therapy session."

"Good, so is there anything else you want to talk about?" She asks and I decide now is good time to approach the subject.

"Actually, yes, there is. You know, when we got married you moved into my apartment and security into yours and I do love this place, but I feel with a baby on the way it would be a good time to buy a house. Maybe we can both look at some listing online and then decide which houses we want to see."

"Sounds good to me... just not a huge mansion please." She says and I decide to compromise.

"We don't need a huge place, but I would prefer a place big enough to have a guest house or wing for security and Gail. And maybe not a house where our neighbors are close enough to watch us from their windows."

"So a big house it is." Ana says exasperated.

"Look, this is not about me wanting to through my money around, it's about safety. We need security and while I like the guys and Gail, I still prefer to have a big enough place so I can forget that they are around. Now, if you could have anything you want in a house... what would you want?" I ask because if I know what she likes I know what to look for.

"A backyard that has enough space for our child to run around and play, and for me to have some space or even a little greenhouse to plant some fruits and veggies... a library would be great... maybe a pool."

"Sounds good to me."

"What would you like?"

"I would love a place by the water and I agree with having a nice backyard with a pool and lots of space. Other than that I won't a place that isn't in need of a lot of repairs and for obvious reason I need a study. Other than that I'd say we just look at what we can find that we both like."

"Agreed... and Christian, promise me if you are mad at to talk to me right away. I'd rather have you yell at me than having you brood for days."

"Now, I would be an asshole if I was to yell at my pregnant wife." I say in mock horror to lighten the mood.

"Maybe, but us not talking is way worse for me, it gives me too much time to think about the worst possible outcomes..."

"I promise I won't brood anymore. Now, is there anything we could do today to have a little fun?" I ask and she smiles.

"How about we take a little stroll and make a stop at the ice cream parlor two blocks from here."

"That sounds like a really good plan."

Two hours later, Ana and I are casually strolling back home and I'm still impressed after Ana chomped down the biggest ice cream specialty they had at the parlor, but my gaze drifts to the baby store at the corner we are just about to pass on our way home.

"You want to go inside?" Ana asks.

"We don't have to if it is too much for you." I offer, but I would love to go in and look around a bit.

"Well, our baby will need clothes, toys and lots of other stuff eventually. So, why don't we go in and look around for a bit. Maybe we can get the first onesie or stuffed animal for the baby." Ana says and so we walk into the store and look around.

Of course, what I'm drawn to first are the tiny football jersey's but I guess it is too early to just assume we are having a boy.

"You want this." Ana says and picks up a jersey of my favorite team.

"We don't even know if it is a boy." I point out and she raises a brow.

"Excuse me? Who says this is only for boys... if we are having a girl she can be a football fan as well, you know?" She says and I smirk.

"You are right... so baby's first onesie?" I ask with a boyish grin.

"Deal."

And so we buy the first item for our baby. I know it's going to take longer for Ana to see that she is going to be a great mother, but this was an important step in the right direction and hopefully, once we have found and settle into our new home we can be a happy family...


	13. Chapter 13

**Ana**

"I'm done... this is a disaster." I mutter as I plop down on our sofa.

We didn't find a home we both liked in the online listings. Everything is either too far out of the city, too small, in too rough of a condition or obscenely expensive for what is being offered. So, we decided to hire a realtor to show us some listings we haven't been able to find online. That was three weeks ago and the realtor seems to have lots of dollar signs in his eyes because everything he is showing us is way over the top. And today he finally reached the end of his delusion by showing us a 150 million dollar mansion. I mean we are couple with a baby on the way for what could we possibly need twenty-one bathrooms and sixteen bedrooms. But I guess just hearing that Christian Grey is looking for a new home has made the poor realtor believe he is going to make the sale of his life.

I can tell that Christian has had enough of looking at houses that are nothing like we want it to be.

"Yeah, you could say that. I don't think I have seen one house that is even close to what I have envisioned for us." He says and sits down next to me.

For a moment I remain silent. A week ago, I have found the perfect home online. Only it's not in New York but in Seattle. I have been thinking of moving to Seattle for about two weeks now. I want our child to grow up close to our family but I'm hesitant to tell Christian. After all, I have made him move his offices to a different coast once before and now only a little over two years later to ask him to do the same thing again just seems unreasonable.

And then there is my job. I love my job so much... for almost all of my adult life, my job has been my life. Now, I feel my priorities shift more and more. Ever since I have been married I noticed that I love the weekends where I can cook for us, spend my time with Christian and just be home. Now, with a baby on the way, I know I have to cut back work. And more so... I don't think I want to work at all until the baby is old enough to go to pre-school.

Christian and I are in the lucky position that I can be a stay at home mom, and while I don't know if that will be enough for me until this child will eventually leave the nest. I know it's what I want for now.

"Hey, daydreaming, Mrs. Grey?" Christian says and I know it's now or never.

"I think I found the perfect home for us. Wait." I say get up and grab my iPad. I open the listing and then the pictures and show him the beautiful 8 bedrooms home I have found. It's on the Sound, has a guest house with two separate apartments and another apartment above the ten-car garage. It even has a boathouse, a small dock, and the most beautiful meadow I have ever seen. I watch as Christian browses through the thirty pictures and then looks at me in surprise.

"That is awesome, why haven't you shown me? Is it off the market?"

"No... but it's not in New York."

"Is it in Jersey? If the commute isn't way too much I still want to see the house in person." He says and I take a deep breath.

"It's in Seattle." I finally get out and he looks at me in surprise.

"What?"

"I know it's insane... I shouldn't even have brought it up after I made you move here... it's just now that I'm pregnant I want our baby to grow up close his or her family. Then last week I just thought I look if anything right for us was listed in Seattle... I'm sorry..."

Christian just stares at me for what feels like forever, then he takes my iPad and leaves the living room. For a moment I'm not sure what to do and because I'm a coward I decide to give him a couple of minutes to recover from my stupid idea.

When Christian returns to the living room he is, much to my surprise, giving me a big smile. "Don't make any plans for Tuesday, I just made an appointment with the realtor to look at the house, Elliott will join us to make sure it's not in need of extensive repairs since the house has been on the market for over nine months." He says and my mouth pops open.

"You would move back to Seattle?" I ask startled.

"Baby, my home is where you are, truth be told though... I do miss Seattle. So, if you can arrange this with your work I can move GEH headquarters back to Seattle at any time." He says and so I decide to tell him about my work plans too.

"What if I wouldn't return to work... at all." I say tentatively.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm thinking about quitting my job and selling my shares back. I want to stay home and raise our child. I don't know if I won't ever look for a job again, but for now, all I really want to do is to be a wife and mother." I admit and he gives me a loving smile.

"You know, I would really like that, besides GEH has its own marketing department and there will always be an opening for you should you decide you want to start working again."

"I'll keep that in mind, Mr. Grey."

Three days later Christian and I have arrived at the gates to the house, where Elliott is already waiting for us.

"Hey kiddo, good to see you. Hey little mama, how is my niece or nephew doing." He says as he greats us and hugs me.

"The doctor says everything is looking good."

"That's what I want to hear. So, I called the realtor to give me a rundown of the house. I already looked at it, if we don't run into surprises it's about two weeks of work to get everything ready. If you guys can give me a month I would not just exchange all the electrics but also the piping and roof while I'm at it so you won't have to worry about that stuff in a couple of years." He says and I look at Christian.

"A month will be fine... if we decide to buy the house." He says and five minutes later the realtor arrives and we walk up the driveway to the beautiful sandstone home. The meadow that is full of beautiful wildflowers alone is enough to make me want to sign the paperwork and get everything under wraps.

Still, I know not to get my hopes up to high before we have seen the inside of the house and Elliott has made sure there is no mold or any other issue.

Inside everything is a bit old-fashioned, but I know with the right wallpapers, some paint, and new carpets and wood floors this problem is easily fixed.

But it's not until we step onto the balcony of the master bedroom that I know for sure that we have found our forever home. The view is stunning. You can overlook the sound and I know it's going to be even more beautiful at sunset.

Of course, the realtor is going on and on about the house as if she was trying to save her life, so Christian asks for a moment to ourselves to discuss.

"Baby, I'm in, this is it." He says and I jump into his arms and kiss him.

"So, this is a yes?" He laughs.

"Yes, I love this house, it's the perfect home for us."

"So, Elliott what is your verdict?"

"Everything looks good, the house has really good bones. All it needs is a little TLC and some renovations so you guys don't have to get anything done for a long while. I have two teams on standby for this project. So, you tell me when the deed is signed and I'll be here to start." He says.

An hour and a half later we have everything arranged with the realtor to get this sale done quickly and we are on our way to my parents. Christian's parents and Elliott already know about the baby but my parents don't. I wanted to tell them in person and so far we haven't been back to Seattle, so today is the day.

To be honest, I'm worried. I know especially my mom has been looking forwards to having grandchildren but I'm scared that both my parents will worry when they notice that I'm still anxious about becoming a mother. I'm slowly starting to see that I'm not like my mother but I still have a long way to go until I won't worry anymore that for some reason I won't be able to love my child... or to be more exact that I will stop loving the little life that is growing inside of me.

My therapist and Christian have helped me a lot in understanding that I'm already protective of my child and there are more and more moments where I get excited to meet my baby but I guess it won't be until the baby is born and I can hold it that the nagging feeling of fear is going to go away.

"Why are you nervous?" I ask when we get out of the car and take Christian's slightly sweaty hand.

"Well, I'm about to tell your dad that I have knocked you up." He says and I start to laugh.

"I'm pretty sure he knows that we had sex before." I tease.

"Really, we are talking about the guy who put us in a room with two single beds when we stayed here last Christmas." He points out and it only makes me laugh harder.

"Pretty sure you'll do crazy stuff too if this little one turns out to be a girl."

"No, I have a solid plan for that, homeschooling, followed by all-girls college and then nunnery." He says and I roll my eyes.

"Not going to happen, Grey." I laugh and then I ring the doorbell and my mom happily ushers us inside.

I'm pretty sure I have never been this freaked out to tell my parents something and Christian and his nervous fidgeting are not helping.

"Something you two want to tell us?" My dad asks looking at Christian and me.

"I um... Christian." I murmur and elbow him to take over but he also seems to have swallowed his tongue.

"Oh damn... if you two don't spit out right now I'm really starting to worry. What is it?" My dad insists.

"I'm pregnant, daddy." I finally say and he blinks gets up, lifts me up into his arms.

"Congratulations, Annie. That's wonderful." He says and kisses my forehead as he puts me down and before I can even find my footing my mom has pulled me into her arms and is going on and on about how happy she is and I try to be happy too, but it's still a lot for me and, of course, my mom notices.

"You two have a drink or smoke a cigar... I'll have a talk with Ana." She says, takes my hand and leads me into the kitchen.

"Is everything alright, darling?" She asks and I immediately start to sob.

"I don't know, I'm so scared, mom. What is I turn out like Cara... what if I won't be a good mom?"

"Don't cry, darling. You have nothing to worry about. You are nothing like Cara. Believe me, as much as I love Cara and probably always will, she has more flaws than I like to admit."

"What do you mean?" I sniff and take the handkerchief my mom hands me.

"Well, I have raised both of you and Cara seemed to always get into trouble on purpose. I probably should have gotten help back then, but times were different. I was already frowned upon because I was a teenage mom. Had I mentioned just once that I don't know how to handle my child she probably would have been taken away from me. Still, there were many instances where I was at my wit's end with her. She would lie, throw fits unlike anything you can ever imagine and the worst part was that she was constantly trying to play Ray and me against each other. She was the perfect little angel when he was around but as soon as he went to work she was like a completely different child. She would scream for no reason, through everything around, break stuff... every day was a struggle. When she was in school Ray finally also saw that there were issues because her teachers would complain that she wasn't paying attention. She got into fights with other kids, steal their stuff... I was at school every week. At the point, someone from CPS came to visit us but in front of them, she acted like we well behaved child and managed to convince them that everyone else in school was at fault. A week before she ran away things got even worse..." My mom says and stops.

"You don't have to tell me."

"No, you need to know, because I don't ever want you to feel as though you could be like Cara. So... I had heard rumors that Cara was ... involved... with men in town. I caught her with a man who was twice her age. I dragged her home and we had an awful fight... right when your Dad came in Cara screamed she would murder me in my sleep. I actually believed her... there was something about the way she said it... it wasn't an upset teenager... it was as though she knew it was going to happen. I was so upset I left the room and she continued to fight with Ray until he sent her to her room. He still wanted to see the perfect little angel she had always played in front of him but even he knew that we had a serious situation on our hands. I hate to admit it, but when Cara ran part of me felt relief. Yes, I love her because she is my child... but I know that she is not a good person. The only good thing she ever did was to bring you into this world and to bring you to live with us. Darling, you are truly nothing like her. You have been the daughter I always hoped of having one day. You are kind, loving, hard-working, compassionate... I could go on and on. Please don't worry about being like Cara, you haven't been like her for all of your life why would you start now?"

"Why have you never told me any of this?" I ask shocked and my mom gives me a sad smile.

"Because I feel like I have failed her as a mother. I should have gotten help when she first started to show signs of aggression, but I didn't."

"Do you know where she is now?"

"No, all I know is that she is married to a millionaire here in Seattle. She has two boys and a girl. The boys are both in college, the girl in middle school."

"Have you met them?" I ask and my mom looks sad.

"No, I wish I could meet my grandchildren, see that they are doing fine but I don't want to bring Cara back in our lives. That door is closed and sometimes it is best to keep doors closed." She says and I take a deep breath.

"My therapist believes it would be good for me to meet with her, to get closure. I don't want to it now while I'm pregnant but maybe once the baby is born." I tell her and my Mom pulls me into her arms.

"If that is what you need I'll support your decision. However, please don't meet with her alone."

"Christian wouldn't let me do that anyway."

"Good, I don't believe she would hurt you physically, because with her rich husband she has too much to lose now, but she has a mean temper and I don't want her to hurt your feelings again."

"You know Christian, he will not allow her to do anything to hurt me or my feelings."

"I know... so, when are you due? I'll come to New York to help you get settled once the baby is born." My mom says and that makes me smile.

"You don't need to come to New York to do that."

"Why?"

"Christian and I are moving to Seattle." I tell her and my mom actually starts to cry.

"Really?"

"Yes, we just looked at a house this morning and agreed to buy it. We want to raise our baby close to our family. He will move his headquarters back to Seattle and I will quit my job to stay home with our baby."

"Are you sure about quitting your job?"

"Well, why have a baby if it is raised by nannies. We don't need a second income and I actually want to stay home and be a full-time mom. Christian has also offered that I can work at GEH if I ever feel like working again."

"That is good... now where is the house?"

"At the Sound, it's so beautiful, mom. And not that far from here, we needed a twenty-minute drive to get here. Elliott is going to do some renovations for us and we are planning to finalize the move before my third-trimester starts, so we have enough time to find a good doctor and pick a hospital where I want to deliver. "

"Your dad and I can help you with whatever you need, darling."

"I know mom. Maybe you can help me pick the new furniture... and of course, I would love to have you there for the delivery."

"Really?"

"Yes, I thought maybe you, Christian, and Grace could be there. I'm sure dad will be happy to wait outside."

"Yes, I don't think he would want to be in the delivery room. And Ana, whenever you feel the need to talk, give me a call and I will be right there."

"I know, thank you for telling everything, mom."

I don't know if what my mom just told me will help me with my fears of becoming a mother like Cara, but at the very least it confirms to me that what she did is not my fault. I don't know if Cara is sick or just a bad person but it actually makes me want to meet her even more. Because I feel that if I was to meet her I could see for myself that I'm nothing like her, but that has to wait. I won't risk putting myself and my baby through that kind of emotional rollercoaster while I'm pregnant. But once my baby is born I know I want to meet her to finally close that chapter of my life and move on into much happier future...


	14. Chapter 14

**Christian**

"She tried what... damn it, she is driving me nuts." I mutter into the phone and give Taylor instructions to tell Carla, my Mom, and Mia that Ana is not to lift anything heavier than a fucking blanket.

Ana has gone into full-on house decorating mode and we haven't even moved in yet. We've decided to have an indoor pool installed as an addition to our home gym and because we didn't want to be bothered by the construction noise all day we have delayed moving in by week. Since our apartments in New York are sold and I am needed here, we decided to spend the weekends with her parents and then the week with mine, as it is closer for me to GEH and to our new place.

I get that she wants everything ready to move in and have the place be a perfect home when our baby arrives, but I'm afraid she is exhausting herself way too much in the process. Also, I had no idea how much shit is actually needed in order to decorate a house. Yesterday, I saw a bill for two-hundred-fifty huge ass scented candles. When I asked her why so many she told me she got ten of every scent she liked. I decided not to argue... and if candles ever become a rare good we won't have to worry about it.

When I asked her why she got so many dish towels I was informed that half of them are only for decoration and the others so they can actually be used. If this shit goes on we'll soon have decorative TP and I only get to wipe my butt with sandpaper...

Truth be told though, Ana seems to have so much fun getting our house ready that I don't mind the fact that half of the time I have no clue why we need certain items.

She even got us a cocktail maker. It's like a one-cup coffee maker with K-cups, but the thing actually makes cocktails. Ray, my Dad, Elliott, and I all thought she was kidding and that everything would taste like crap, but then we got curious.

Let's just say by the time the women noticed we were gone and came looking for us we had put the machine to good use and were all rather shit-faced.

Just now, she is out with our moms and Mia to by some small furniture like coffee tables, bedside tables, and other stuff. She also wants to get some stuff for my study, which I gave card blanche to decorate. I'm not into decorating at all and since Ana has so much fun with it I just let her handle it and throw in my two cents whenever she is asking me for my opinion.

What I am really looking forward too is next Friday when my boat, the Grace will be brought to our new place because if the weather is good I want to take Ana sailing. I never had my boat brought to New York since we went to Seattle for the weekends whenever we had time anyway. But I'm excited to have my boat ready to go sailing whenever I feel like it, to stop by at my parents when I feel like it or to shoot some hoops with Elliott when I had a stressful day at work.

"Christian, Ms. Bailey is coming up the driveway." My dad says and he peeks into his study which he has allowed me to use for meeting Ros and to work until my office had some changes done and I can work from GEH again.

"Thanks, Dad, I'll get the door." I let him know, get up and walk towards the front door to open it just in time for Ros to get out of her car.

"Hey Chris, good to see you in person and not on a video chat." She says and gives me a brief hug.

"Come, let's chat." I say with a wink and lead her into my Dad's study.

"So, when can we expect you back in action at Grey House?" She asks and after we have sat down and each hold a tumbler with our favorite bourbon.

"Next week, my office will be ready by then. Are you up for a challenge?" I ask.

"Shoot." Ros says with a grin.

"You know that Ana is pregnant. The baby is due in January. If you can take over I will stay home with Ana starting two weeks before her due date until the baby is six months old and then continue to come in for important meetings but mostly work from home until the baby is a year old. It's my first kid and I would hate to miss all the milestones."

"I'm game. You know Gwen and I work so well because we are both workaholics, so I won't be in trouble at home. Poor Ana though, you'll probably drive her insane." Ros teases and I laugh.

"Yeah, probably. Or all the free time makes us have baby number two right away."

"Make sure to tell your wife that you want another child right after she gave birth... see what happens." Ros smirks.

"Thank you, I'm not that much of an idiot... and I like my balls where they are."

"Good point. Now, I got all the paperwork you have asked for. Prepare for a lot of meetings, many of our local business partners have requested a meeting. Most of them just want to kiss your ass because they are scared you are not happy with their numbers."

"Do we have to make cuts?"

"No, all is good. Some were just so used to your semi-annual ass-kicking that they just want to get it over with." She says and then we go other some numbers and the details for some of the meetings we are both going to attend next week before she has to leave.

A little later Ana and Mia arrive back home, but before I can even say hi, Mia has dragged Ana up the stairs. I know Mia is excited to have Ana stay here because she finally has someone close to her own age at home, but she is starting to occupy more and more of my wife's time.

It's another thirty minutes before Ana walks into my Dad's study and sits down on my lap with a smile.

"Sorry, Mia needed to talk." She says.

"What about?"

"She met someone she really likes. They've been on a date but she is hesitant to agree on a second date."

"Why? Do I need to kick that little jerks ass?" I ask and Ana laughs.

"No, according to Mia the guy is great. She really likes him but he is still in college and she is afraid what everyone will think if she is dating someone who is three years younger than she is."

"Why would she date a college kid?"

"Why not? He is almost 21 and she 23. It's not like she is dating a teenager. I told her if she really likes him she should go on a second date."

"I don't know. Isn't that weird?"

"Why? You are a year older than I am, is that weird for you too?"

"No... but shouldn't the guy be older?" I ask and immediately feel stupid but for some reason this feels weird to me.

"What? No, if both are over the age of consent, I don't see any issue. And not to be mean... but Mia still has a lot of growing up to do. So maybe someone a little younger is even better suited for her, so they can do the last part of growing up together."

"True. I'm sure our parents would be delighted if Mia was to finally figure out what to do with her life." I muse and Ana purses her lips.

"What?"

"Nothing." She says but I can tell that something is bothering her.

"Baby, please, I can tell you want to say something."

"Well, maybe if you guys would all stop treating her like a kid, she would realize that she has to act like an adult."

"We are not treating her like a child." I say and know right away that I just gave the wrong answer because Ana gets up and looks at me, hands on her hips, one foot tapping on the floor, and one raised brow.

"You cannot be serious. Christian, Mia is twenty-three, she still lives at home, has a curfew, gets an allowance from her parents, and both older brother's but doesn't even have an own bank account. How is she supposed to act like an adult when she doesn't even know how to pay bills, use the laundry machine, what groceries cost or how to put gas in the car..."

"Wow... I had no clue. I just gave her a credit card... she really doesn't have a bank account?"

"Nope she only uses cash she gets from your parents or the credit cards Elliott and you have given her. You know how much I love your family... and I know Mia is the baby of the family... but you guys should allow her to grow up. It's time."

Fuck me, I had no clue we are still babying Mia that much... but I guess it's true.

"You're right, I'll talk to my parents and Elliott. So... how broke are we after your shopping spree today." I joke and she snorts.

"I think we'll survive it. I also found the final few things I needed for your study. By the way, did you know that your Mom has a wild side?" She says with a smirk and I frown.

"Do I even want to know?"

"Well, I found this beautiful mirror but it's huge and Grace told me to have it installed over the bed... she said she loved that back when she was newly married."

"Hell no, why would you tell me that? She really said that?"

"Yes, Mia was mortified but I thought it was good advice, though I didn't get the mirror. It was really heavy and if that thing ever came down on us we probably both end up dead." She says and I still cannot believe my mother would share something like that with Ana. I'm sure my parents are still ... active ... but I do very well without knowing that for sure.

"Maybe we can find something different for the bedroom." I say with a wink and pull her into my arms.

"No... no no, no time for funny business. We are having an appointment in an hour." Ana says and wiggles out of my embrace.

"What kind of appointment?" I ask confused.

"Dr. Greene called while I was still at the store. She was asking if we could switch appointments to today since she will be out of town on Friday."

"Wait... really?" I ask excited and she grins.

"Yup... so I'll have a quick shower and we meet by the car in fifteen minutes... time to find out what colors to use for the nursery." Ana says with a big smile, presses a kiss to lips, and hurries out of the study.

Fuck me, it's time. Truth be told, I would love to have a boy first. It's not that I don't want a daughter. I would actually love to have a little girl. But she grows up to be even half as beautiful I will need all the help I can get to fight off all the little fuckers and will come up to her. If I give it a little more thought I might need at least five boys before I can have a girl.

An hour later we are at the doctor's office and Ana already had her weight checked, blood pressure checked, and belly measured. So, now it is time for the sonogram.

"Stop fidgeting you are making me nervous." Ana giggles and I shake my head.

"How isn't that you aren't nervous?"

"Well, it's either a little boy or a little girl... no actual chance for any surprises." She says with a smile. Figures, Ana doesn't have nightmares over the fact that our daughter will one day start to go on dates, so to her, this is just exciting and not actually frightening. My dad recently joked he was ready to get a gun when Mia was born... if this little one is a girl I might really do it.

When Doctor Greene walks in my palms are fucking sweating and I can barely stop myself from pacing the room. Though when she starts with the sonogram I actually relax a little bit while listening to my child's heartbeat.

"Is it a boy or a girl?" I ask after a few moments because the good doctor isn't saying anything.

"Well, I'm still trying to get a good look. So far, your child prefers to show its little bum." She replies and I sent a quick prayer to the heavens that the baby will move because I don't want to wait another month to find out.

"Wait... it seems your baby is cooperating nicely... just let me get one good look... it's a boy."

Thank fuck! A boy ... I'm going to have a son!

"Happy?!" Ana asks, and when I look at her she has the biggest smile on her face and tears in her eyes.

"Very happy." I reply and kiss her.

In the evening we are in bed, in my old childhood bedroom and talk about names for our son. So far, we have a long list of names we cannot agree on and few names we both don't like but nothing we both like.

"What about Sheldon?" I ask and Ana makes a face.

"I don't like that name. What about a non-traditional name like Blue."

"Excuse me, you want a son whose name is Blue Grey?" I ask and Ana starts to laugh.

"I guess that wasn't the best example. I was more thinking of something like Brooklyn or..."

"Baby, I love you but can we please stick with a name that is not a city or an object?" I plead.

"Ok, what about Hero?" She says but I know she is joking now because she can barely contain her laughter.

"Alright... let's try again, do you want his name to be short or long?"

"I think I like short names better. I mean if we give him a long name we'll probably are going to call him the short form of it anyway. And I always hated it as a kid when my parents called me Anastasia because I knew right away that I was in trouble."

"Ok, I agree on that, I like short names as well. Any favorites for short names?" I ask and we both think about it for a moment.

"I really like Liam and Noah." Ana says.

"Noah Grey... I like that a lot." I reply and say the name a few more times.

"What do you think, baby, is this little one going to be called Noah Grey?" I ask and place my hand on her bare belly and at the same moment I feel the little guy kick for this first time.

"Did you feel that?" Ana asks excited and I nod wide-eyed.

"Hey little guy, it's your dad, do you want your name to be Noah?" I ask and sure enough, there is another small kick.

"I guess that makes it official, our son will be called Noah." Ana says with a happy smile and I nod. This is going to be perfect. I just know it. Our own little family and hopefully we'll have many more siblings for Noah to play with, in the not so far future.


	15. Chapter 15

**Ana**

"You really need to stop this Noah... I'm going to be huge." I groan as I shove another handful of chips into my mouth. I guess that is karma. I haven't had any weird cravings for my first or second trimester and already made jokes about cravings being an urban legend. And then the third trimester started and I have been eating the weirdest stuff ever since.

It all started last week with me waking up and all I could think about was waffles with broccoli. I'm pretty sure Christian threw up a little when he saw me eat my waffles with broccoli and mustard. And since then it has been weird stuff every day. I had cherries with pickles, grilled pineapple with olives and strawberry sauce and now it's chips with chocolate sauce as a dip.

My doctor says it's nothing to worry about and that I can indulge a little but try not to overdo it. So, I try to balance my cravings out with salads and lots of healthy foods for my other meals. Still, I'm worried that I will gain too much weight and might not be able to have a normal delivery.

I've read a lot about different kinds of childbirth and bonding after birth, which is why I want to avoid a c-section. I know most women do just fine and can easily bond with their baby after a c-section but with my issues, I don't want to take any chances. Plus, for some reason giving birth naturally does sound way less scary than having a c-section.

For a while, I was even thinking about giving birth at home but Christian was a little freaked out about it since this is our first child, so we looked at the hospitals and birthing centers in our area and have found the right place in the Swedish Medical Center. Only ten more weeks and then Noah will be with us. I can hardly wait to meet him and finally hold him in my arms.

It's weird, at first, I was so worried about not being able to love my baby, and now I love him so much already that it sometimes frightens me. I mean, I love my parents and I love Christian... but this is unlike any love I have ever felt before. I would kill and die for this little guy growing inside of me without any questions asked.

It also makes me wonder how Cara could not at least feel a tiny bit of that love when it came to me. It feels so alien to me to go through all of this, seeing my body change, feeling my baby move, picking a name, getting his room ready, and not to fall in love with my child. I know it can be harder for a teenager who already goes through so much change in their life but at the end of the day, I didn't ask to be born. She made the choice to have unprotected sex and then to go through with the pregnancy. She wasn't forced to do any of that. And why she kept me for a year is also something I don't understand.

She could have given me up for adoption, brought me to her parents right away, or, and thank god she didn't, leave me with my biological father. She had so many choices but she chose to keep me and torture me. I guess I will never understand that.

Since I don't want to dwell on Cara for too long I get up and wash my hands before I step outside on the patio and look over to where my dad, Carrick, and Christian are on the big Oak in our backyard finishing up the treehouse they decided to build this weekend. My mom and Grace will also be over later for a little cookout. Elliott and Elise are visiting her parents to share their good news that Elise is three months pregnant.

I'm really excited for them because Elise has told me they had tried for four years to get pregnant and it just didn't happen. Six months ago they decided to stop. I guess it was just what they needed, to take the pressure off of things. I'm also excited because this means Noah is going to have a little cousin really close in age, so he'll have a little playmate.

Mia won't be joining us either. She took a leap of faith and went on another date with her college boy, who I now know is named Joshua. They really hit it off and have been seeing each other a lot over the past almost three months. He surprisingly has also helped her grow up a lot.

To all of our surprise, she has asked Christian for some money to get her own bakery started. And it wasn't just a blink of the moment idea. She actually showed up with a business plan, a listing for the shop she wants to rent, and illustrations on how the finished bakery should look. Christian was really impressed and has given her the money. It was supposed to be a gift, but Mia is insisting on paying him back. Looks like the baby of the family is finally growing up.

Because she is busy with getting her bakery ready she and Josh will spend the day interviewing a few people for the open positions she has.

I'm happy for her, at twenty-three she needs to get her life on track and now she is on a really good way to achieve her dreams. Though I have to say I'm also really curious to finally meet Joshua. So far, she has not introduced him to her family, because she is worried all the men in her family are going to make him jump through hoops. Which to be honest might be exactly what's going to happen.

"Do you want some lemonade?" I call out to the men and all three give me a thumbs up, so I head into the kitchen where I find Gail baking some cookies.

"Do we have lemonade in the fridge, Gail?"

"Yes, just made a pitcher, do you want me to bring it out on the patio, Ana?"

"Oh, I can do... actually, yes thank you." I say when she raises a brow. Christian is adamant about me not lifting anything too heavy and while I think that a jug of lemonade and a few glasses is nothing too heavy I don't want to get Gail in trouble if Christian is going to make a fuss about it. He means well and I won't be pregnant forever, so I can deal with him being a bit too overprotective.

"I made a plate of sandwiches for the men, I'll bring it out with the lemonade." Gail says and I thank her before we both head back out on the patio.

"You guys have gotten really far with the treehouse... but you do realize that Noah won't be able to actually use it for a few more years."

"Oh I know, but I thought until then I could use the treehouse as a tiny men-cave." Christian says and that makes me smile.

"That's what I thought. Oh and Kate just called, she is coming to Seattle in two weeks and has talked about a big surprise. I called some of my other friends from New York and wanted to invite them too but they all came up with rather dumb excuses why they couldn't make it. So, I guess Kate is planning a baby shower."

"Really... did she say anything?" Christian asks and I roll my eyes.

"Nope, but you are horrible at lying to me, so you just confirmed it." I giggle.

"Please don't tell her. Your bossy best friend will, and I quote: rip my balls off if I let anything slip." He says and I laugh, that sounds just like Kate.

I miss Kate and my friends from New York but I love living in Seattle and being able to see my family whenever I want. I'm sure with time I'll make friends here too and Kate and I already made plans to go on a girl's trip once a year and visit each other every three or four months so we won't lose touch now that we live on different coasts.

A little later I'm just about to head upstairs for a little afternoon nap when my phone rings. "Hi Mia." I say cheerfully until I hear her sniff.

"What's wrong?"

"I had a fight with Josh. Can we meet?" She asks and I turn around to get my purse and keys.

"Sure, are you at your shop?"

"Yes."

"Ok, I'll be there in twenty minutes."

"Thank you, and please don't tell Christian. It was a stupid fight and I don't want them to have a bad feeling about Josh before they meet him."

"Sure, my lips are sealed. I'll just tell him you want to show me something." I tell her and since I'm a little tired I decide to ask Taylor to drive me.

Once at Mia's shop I knock at the front door and hug her when she lets me in.

"No more tear, here, let's talk." I say, hand her a handkerchief and we sit down in the back where she has a little office.

"So, tell me what happened."

"Well, this morning we had four women here to interview for the position as a waitress, since I want to put some chairs and tables outside. They were all still in college and all started to ogle Josh right away. He didn't even react but it bothered me and after the last girl left he told me which one he preferred and it was the prettiest out of the three. A busty blonde, whose tall and tanned and... and I kind of lost it and accused him he wants to fuck her. I know I totally overreacted but... well... I know I'm not the pretty and..."

"Mia! Stop, are you crazy? You are gorgeous. Why would you say that you're not pretty?"

"Well, I'm short and have dark hair and small boobs..."

"So do I, but that doesn't mean girls like us aren't pretty."

"You can say that because you are stunning and you already have Christian and he is obsessed with you."

"And Josh isn't obsessed with you?" I ask surprised.

"He acts like he is... but ... oh I don't know. I've never been in love like this Ana and I'm terrified to mess everything up. And Josh didn't even get mad... he was hurt and just left. I feel like such a bitch."

"Look, I haven't met Josh yet, so I really can't say what kind of person he is but if even half of what you told me about him is true, then he is a great guy and you really shouldn't project your insecurity onto him. He chose you. He didn't want a busty blonde as his girlfriend. He picked you. I know it's hard to be with a man that has women get out of their way to get attention..."

"Did you feel insecure about Christian too?" Mia asks and I snort.

"Your brother is way too good looking for his own good. Believe me, it took me some time to wrap my head around the fact that out of all the women he could have chosen he picked me. And sure, it drives me nuts to see grown women turn into drooling idiots around him but Christian has never given me any reason to be jealous. Still, especially now with my hormones all over the place it still sometimes pisses off when women try to flirt with him even if I'm right next to him."

"How do you handle that... it's driving me nuts."

"First, I never blame Christian because it's not his fault, he doesn't encourage them... and second, I'm the one who gets to have him all to myself." I add with a wink.

"I don't know what to do, Ana. I'm so embarrassed about my behavior and Josh already has enough to deal with." She sighs.

"Is everything alright with him?"

"Yes... well, his family is kind of weird. Basically, they disowned his brother and he is raising his sister because his parents are never around."

"Why would they disown his brother?"

"His Dad is really traditional in some ways. He only wanted two kids... and heir and spare ... you know. One son to inherit his company and carry on the family name and a second son just in case something happens to his first son. Josh's brother was always different... he came out as gay two years ago when he moved out to go to college but everyone kinda knew since he was a child. That's why they got a third kid which was supposed to be another son... and turned out to be a girl. All three more or less got raised by nannies while their parents were jet setting and attending events. They don't care about them as long as they behave the way they want them to. Josh worries about his little sister being alone with them because she is a very shy girl, that's why he went to WSU so he could still live home. When their parents are around there's also stress... and I hate that I just hurt him too... I want to make him happy so bad Ana."

"Wow... that sounds so messed up... but you know Mia, you are both really young so you guys have to learn how to make a relationship work. So talk to him, explain how you felt and I'm sure he won't be mad at you."

"I'm just scared he'll think I'm not worth the trouble." Mia whines.

"You're worth a whole lot of trouble." We hear a voice behind us and both jump in our seats. Mia squeals gets up and runs over to jump into the tall guy's arms.

I can't see a whole lot of him, but he is tall, over six feet, well built, and has curly black hair. I get up too and quietly leave the office to give them some privacy to talk. But because I'm curious to finally meet Joshua I wait in the shop until about ten minutes later they come over.

"Josh, this is my sister-in-law Ana. Ana meet Josh." Mia introduces us but he just stares at me.

"Is everything alright?" I ask and that seems to have him snap out of.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to be rude, Mrs. Grey. You just reminded me of someone."

"It's alright, and please call me Ana." I say and we shake hands. Now that I get a good look at him, I get why women start to flirt with him right away, this guy is not just handsome... he is beautiful. Well, not Christian beautiful... but still, way more handsome than any guy should be.

"So, I guess I leave you guys to it. Or do you want to join me for a little cook-out at my place?" I ask.

"That's really nice of you, but my sister has a school recital and I promised to be there, Mia is joining me."

"Well, then don't let me keep you from anything. But, it's an open invitation. I'm sure Christian would love to meet you too, Josh."

"We'll come over sometime soon." Mia says and so I give her a hug, shake Josh's hand again and leave the shop.

I hope they can work things out. He really seems like a nice guy and Mia deserves to be with someone who really cares about Mia. But they are both still young, so who knows what is going to happen.

Back at the house, everyone is already there but Christian asks me to come inside with him.

"Do I need to kill the little fucker?" He asks and I snort.

"Actually, I just met Josh and he is a really nice guy."

"Really? Because I don't believe that Mia just wanted to show you something?"

"Look, everything is fine, Mia just needed a little advice and that is all you need to know."

"Wait is he trying to pressure her into sleeping with him?"

"What?! No, I don't even know if they have gone that far yet and frankly it's none of our business. Now, I did invite them to come over when they have time and you will behave."

"I always behave." He pouts.

"Except when it comes to the dating life of your baby sister." I laugh.

"I just don't want her to get hurt."

"I know, but everything is fine. Josh seems like a really nice guy, so let them do their thing."

"We'll see."

"Come on, let's go outside, your son is hungry and for a change, he is not asking for the special menu, so I can eat whatever I want." I grin and he kisses me before we head outside to spend a relaxed evening with our family. I just hope Christian won't turn into full-on overprotective big brother mode once he meets Josh. Because if he does I fear there won't be any left of him once Christian is done with him. He is the sweetest guy around the people he loves, but I have heard him on the phone during business calls a lot of times now and he can make grown men shake in their boots if he wants to. So let's just hope that everything will go smoothly when they come over...


	16. Chapter 16

**Christian**

"Don't make that face." Ana admonishes me and I roll my eyes. She was been briefing me on how not to behave around Mia's boy-toy ever since my sister told us last night that she would like to come over to dinner so I can meet Josh. She has already introduced him to our parents and now it's Elliott's and my turn. Took her long enough if you ask me. When Ana offered them to come over for dinner she was seven months along and now her due date is only four days away.

I even told Mia it would be too much for Ana to have guests over now, but Ana told me that that's not true. Of course, she is right. Gail does all the cooking and it doesn't matter if it's only us at the dinner table or four more people. Still, Mia could have done this earlier.

"Do you prefer this face?" I ask and give her a ridiculous smile while I cross my eyes.

"Stop it, just act normal." She laughs. Hearing her laugh makes me smile because I know how uncomfortable Ana has been for the last few weeks. Her back hurts, she can't sleep very well and is constantly exhausted. I wish I could do something to help her rest more comfortably, after all, she will have to give birth to our son soon, so she needs all of her strength.

"I'll try, baby." I mutter and Gail announces that Elliott and Elise are on their way up the driveway. So, we walk to the front door and greet them there.

"Wait, there is another car coming up." Ana says as I'm ushering everyone in. So, we wait for them and I frown as they get out of the car. I expected a nerdy college kid, but that guy looks he is too old to be in college. Not too old to date Mia, but most definitively more of a man than a boy as I thought.

As Mia introduces us I have to give him some points for having a firm handshake and holding eye contact. At least, he doesn't seem to be scared. Inside Elliott and I exchange looks making sure we have the good cop, bad cop roles down. I promised Ana I would not interrogate the boy, but hell, if he wants to date my baby sister he better be ready to answer all the questions I have.

My dad told me he really likes him and he apparently won my mom over right away, but I won't let the guy charm me. I'm too good at reading people to fall for any kind of charade.

During dinner though, it's not what he says or how he treats Mia that pisses me off. It's the way the little fucker is ogling my wife whenever he feels like no one is noticing it.

"Hey Chris, do you have a minute?" Elliott says as soon as we have finished dinner and I follow him into the hallway.

"What the fuck, why is the kid eye fucking Ana like that?" Elliott bursts out as soon as we are out of earshot.

"Yeah, that's what I have been wondering too. Little fucker can be damn glad I haven't punched his lights out. Who the hell does that, come to meet his girlfriend's siblings and then stare at the wife of one of them the entire time." Fuck me, I really want to punch the guy.

"Christian, Elliott?" We turn around and sure enough, it's the little fucker.

"Yes?" I snap but he doesn't even seem to be bothered.

"I have to apologize. I'm sure you have noticed that I have been looking at Ana a lot. It's not what you think though, so I felt like I need to explain this to you since I don't want this to come across the wrong way." He says.

"Right now, I have to believe that you are more interested in my wife than my sister." I say staring him down but he still doesn't seem to be scared.

"Well, I am interested in your wife..." He says and Elliott has to hold me back.

"Wait... it's not what you think. I think Ana is related to me." He says and I stop and frown.

"What do you mean?" I ask and he sighs.

"My family... is difficult to say the least. I do know all of my father's family, even though I could do well without any of them. What I don't know is any of my mother's family history. The most she ever said is that she doesn't have a family. I don't know if her parents are dead or alive... if she had siblings... if there was a fallout or if she lost her family young and it's too painful for her to talk about. And then I met Ana and it really startled me. You see, if she was a bit taller and had lighter hair she would be the exact clone of my mother." He says and hands me a picture.

I look at it and blink. It sure looks a lot like Ana... well, except for the blonde hair, tons of make-up and horrible dress that the woman is wearing.

"Is that your mom?" I ask and he nods.

For a moment I just stare at him and then I get a really bad feeling. "How many siblings do you have?"

"A younger brother and sister, why?"

"Your mom, is her first name Cara?" I ask.

"Yes, why?" He asks and I start to cuss up a storm.

"Hey, what is going on?" Josh finally calls out loud enough for me to snap out of it.

"Did your mom set you up to this? Get chummy with my sister to get to Ana?" I sneer and his eyes widen.

"No! Can you please explain what is going on?" He asks and seems seriously confused.

"Elliott, go back to the women, tell them Josh wants to see my R8, this can take a little." I tell him and gladly he isn't asking any questions and I usher Josh into my study, close the door, take a bottle of whiskey, fill two tumblers, and hand him one.

"Thanks, so what is going on. Do you know my mom?"

"No, and she can be damn happy we haven't met because it would turn ugly real quick if I ever do." I mutter darkly.

"Please Christian, I really don't get what is going on."

"Your maternal grandparents are alive."

"What, really, are they well... can I meet them?" He asks excited and I walk over to the small table in the corner that is filled with family pictures.

"Here, these are your grandparents, Carla and Ray."

"Wow, this is so strange. They look so young."

"They had your mom when they were both still very young."

"So, Ana is my aunt?" He asks and I take a gulp of my whiskey.

"Legally yes... biologically no."

"I don't understand." He says with a frown.

"They adopted Ana when she was a year old, but it was your mom who gave birth to her. She's your half-sister."

"What, fuck, is that why my mom isn't talking to her family, because they took Ana away from her?"

"No, absolutely not. Your mom was a teenage runaway. After over a year she returned with Ana, who was badly abused and malnourished. She dropped her off with her parents and left again. She even refused to meet Ana ten years later when your grandparents tried to contact her." I say and Josh sits down in one of the leather chairs. He looks so deflated that I actually feel bad for him.

"Everything alright?" I ask and he sadly shakes his head.

"No... I thought... nevermind. I guess I have to face the fact that my mother has never cared for anything but money in all of her life. If Ana had been taken from her it would have at least given me an excuse to think that something traumatic turned her this way." He says and I sigh.

"So, she hasn't been good to you or your siblings either?"

"No, she is rarely around anyway. And if she is at home she has never been motherly. She only acts like the perfect mom in front of others. Behind closed doors, it's a different story. My younger brother is gay, my parents tried to beat it out of him... he hasn't talked to them for two years now... they disowned him. Now my baby sister is getting the most of their anger. She's not the boy they wanted. Doesn't show interest in clothes or beauty... she is a shy girl... that's why Mia and I stay at my place a lot, so I'm close by to make sure nothing happens to her."

"Fuck... is there anything I can do?"

"Believe me, no one will believe you. I tried talking to her teachers, CPS... everything. No one believed me or her. My parents are masters at manipulating people. I have decided to stay home until she is 16, then she will be old enough to get emancipated, so she can move in with me until she can go to college. I know it's not fair to Mia to wait almost four more years until I can move out... I only didn't even want to date at all because of my situation... but then I met Mia and I just fell in love. She's the best thing that has ever happened to me." He says and fuck if I don't feel bad as hell for the kid and both of his siblings.

"Look, I know a lot of people... my dad is a lawyer, I promise I'll find a way to help you."

"You really don't have to..."

"Yes, I do. I happen to love my family and you are now a part of that family. Just, can you wait to talk to Ana until she had the baby. Her due date is really close by and I don't want her to get upset and go into labor."

"Sure... but do you think I could meet my grandparents?"

"Of course, I'll talk to them. Ray doesn't really talk about it, but Carla is really heartbroken about the fact that she never got to meet her other grandchildren."

"They know about us?"

"Kind of, they know Cara got married and had more kids, but that's about it. I'm sure they'll be happy to meet you and your siblings."

"So, you don't think they will judge my brother Aiden because he's gay?" And I want to be surprised by his question, but sadly I know a gay child or grandchild still is something many families struggle with.

"Why would they? What he does behind closed doors is up to him. They'll be happy as long as he's happy."

"They sound like great people... would be nice to have a family who actually cares." He says and I wonder what Josh and his siblings must have been through in their childhood with parents like that.

"We'll figure this out. Believe me, no one is ever going to lay hand on you or your siblings ever again... that's a promise." I say just as Elliott bursts into the room.

"Christ Elliott, are you trying to scare the shit out of me?" I snap.

"Ana's water just broke, you need to come." He says and once his words sink in I run back into the dining room where I find Ana holding her belly.

"What happened, baby?" I ask as I kneel beside her.

"I don't know, there was like a pop in my belly... can you help me upstairs, my clothes are soaked." She says looking pale, so I pick her up and carry her upstairs.

Upstairs I help Ana change and grab the back she has already packed for the hospital. "Are you alright, baby?"

"Yes, just a little scared maybe." She says and I hug her.

"It's alright baby, you are going to be fine and I won't leave your side even for one second. I promise."

"I think I've already forgotten all those breathing techniques and I guess now is a good time to confess that I'm not great at dealing with pain... so promise me that you talk me out of getting an epidural unless it is really necessary."

"Promise, but baby, if you feel like you need the epidural take it. It won't make you any less of a good mother... just one who knows that she doesn't have to go through birth without any kind of pain relief."

"I know, but I at least want to try." She says and takes a deep breath.

"Contraction?"

"Yes, but it's not too bad... I had period cramps like this." She says and I want to believe her but I know she doesn't like to show weakness so I'm not quite convinced.

Because our doctor told us to come to the Swedish once Ana's water breaks or she has contractions every five minutes we have Elliott and Elise drive us to the hospital, while Mia wants to get our parents and I have asked Taylor to contact Ray and Carla. I'll also have to ask him to run a background check on Josh's parents but right now my main focus is on Ana.

At the hospital, the Doctor looks at Ana, examines her, and then tells us that it would be best if Ana would walk for a while to get her more dilated. So we find ourselves walking up and down the hallway.

"I should have packed my hiking boots." Ana jokes as we turn around to walk the hallway another time.

"Yeah, I had no idea giving birth involved walking a marathon." I joke back but my smile dies rather quick when Ana doubles over in pain and I have to hold her up so her legs won't give out.

"Better?" I ask when she blows out the breath she was holding.

"Yes... but that one really hurt. Keep an eye on the time please." She says and after a moment we continue to walk.

An hour later we are back in the hospital room and the doctor is pleased because all the walking has helped Ana to dilate to six centimeters. 4 more to go and we are ready to welcome Noah into this world.

"Let's give Ana a moment with her mom." My dad says, who stopped by with my mom to check on Ana. My mom went to see Ana's doctor and Ray was obviously too nervous to stay in the room, because he basically fled the room when Ana had a contraction.

I look at Ana and she gives me a smile, so I leave the room with my dad.

"How are you holding up, son?" He asks me and I sigh.

"Ana's contractions keep getting more and more painful but she doesn't want any pain relief. I'm afraid by the time she wants them it's too late." I confess and he squeezes my shoulder.

"Let her do this her way. If she feels she needs pain relief she will ask for it. Women can be stubborn about the way they want to do this. And it's not like we can even understand how this feels or what their instincts tell them."

"I know... but it's driving me insane. I feel so out of control here." He mutter and my dad chuckles.

"Believe me, you will run into many situations where you feel out of control with your son, but it's all worth it." He says and suddenly Carla opens the door.

"Carrick, get the doctor please, Ana says she needs to push." She says and I hurry back inside. What I find shocks me, because Ana is curled up on the bed, panting.

"Baby what's wrong?"

"I need to push... please... oh my god... this contraction won't stop." She cries out and thankfully the doctor comes running in followed by two nurses.

"Oh dear, this was way quicker than expected." She says when she checks on Ana.

"What is going on?" I ask a little sharper than I wanted to but I'm about to lose it.

"It seems your son intends to be born before midnight. Your wife is fully dilated. I would say your son will be here within the hour."

"But I don't understand, you said it would take longer just twenty minutes ago."

"Well, Mr. Grey if I have learned anything about childbirth than it is to expect the unexpected. Some first-time mommy's need up to 48 hours to give birth others are done within two hours. It seems your wife is in the latter group."

"But isn't this dangerous for her?"

"It's not more or less dangerous than any other delivery, only quicker... so she might tear but that is very common in childbirth. Now, let me help your wife."

I hurry back to Ana and she grabs my hand immediately. "I'm here everything is going to be fine."

"Please knock me out." She groans in the middle of a contraction.

"It's alright, try to breathe through it." I try to encourage her but I'm pretty sure there is no way that breathing alone will take away the pain she is going through.

"Ok Ana, with the next contraction I want you to push." The doctor says and when it's time I'm pretty certain I fell some bones snap in my hand. Funny enough, I couldn't care less. Right now, Ana could rip my arm out and beat me with it if it would make her feel better.

Thirty minutes later I feel faint, Ana has been pushing on and off, as the doctor wants her to wait some of them out so she won't tear too much. Now, however, there is no going back, the doctor just announced that the head is almost there which in theory is a good thing but in reality seems to make things worse for Ana. I for one will never in my life forget the way my wife just screamed.

"Now I need you to give me a good hard push, Ana. When I say go you start and I'll count to ten." the doctor says and before I really know what is going on she gives the go and Ana is at it again. Christ, why did no one tell me that childbirth comes close to an exorcism in the movies? Ana is screaming, the doctor is screaming so Ana can hear her over her own screams, the nurses are also screaming because they are trying to cheer Ana on to continue...

"Good job, Ana... the head is born. Here give me your hand." the doctor says and I make the mistake and look. There is blood everywhere, my son's head coming out of my wife's ladyparts and I start to sway.

"Here sit." A nurse who probably notices me about to keel over says and pushes a chair behind me. Thankfully I slump into it and while I am trying to get my shit together the action in the delivery room continues until I hear the piercing screams of my son.

"Congratulations." The doctor announces as she places him on Ana's chest. I lean over her to get a better look at him. He is perfect, a head full of dark hair and when he blinks I see the bluest eyes looking at me. I look at Ana and she is full-on sobbing looking at our son.

"He is so beautiful." She says laughing through her tears.

"Yes, he is. Thank you, baby. You were amazing. I love both of you so, so much." I say and kiss her.

I can't believe we are a family now... but this little guy just turned Ana and I from a couple to a family. One that will hopefully continue to grow in the future and be very, very happy...


End file.
